Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant Environmental Impact ... - IFC

The land in the Project area remains under traditional jurisdiction (and thus is
owned by the state under Nigeria’s land use decree). As such, none of the
users of affected land have formal land title. Women are particularly
vulnerable in this regard, as they are also not entitled to land allocation under
the traditional land management system.
Cultivation and agriculture in the area has already been affected by
development of the neighbouring NIPP project. Some individuals in the
surveyed communities reported that land acquisition for the NIPP Project has
reduced the availability of agricultural land and created pressure to reduce the
fallow periods for remaining agricultural land, reducing productivity of the
soil. However, their principal grievance was allied to their perception that
they had not received the compensation they felt they were due (because of
perceived irregularities and failures in the Federal Government-led land
acquisition compensation process).
Impact Significance
The extent of the impact associated with economic resettlement will extend
across the three communities of Orior-Osemwende, Ihovbor-Evboeka and
Idunmwowina-Urho-Nisen and beyond, and is considered to be regional.
Wider impacts could be experienced in neighbouring communities if the
general availability of agricultural products is reduced as a result of the
relocation.
The loss of land, and therefore impacts to livelihood and income generation,
will be permanent in duration. Based on the recent experience of resettlement
for the neighbouring NIPP plant, coupled with the perceived Federal
Government’s inability thus far to deliver on compensation commitments
equitably, tensions between the communities and the developers of the Project
are considered highly likely.
Affected stakeholders in the area lack (formal or informal) training required to
adopt alternative livelihoods, making them more sensitive to the loss of
agricultural land. Vulnerable groups, including single woman-headed
households, are particularly anxious about the compensation they will receive
from the Azura-Edo IPP since they are unlikely to have either formal land title
deeds or rights under customary land tenure. The sensitivity of the local
population to the loss of livelihoods is further compounded by the cumulative
impact of the previous NIPP resettlement, which resulted in loss of land
without (allegedly) sufficient compensation. The receptor sensitivity is
therefore considered to be high.
Based on the high sensitivity of stakeholders in the area coupled with the
tension that exacerbates the situation, the negative impact of economic
resettlement is assessed to be major before mitigation.
AZURA EDO IPP
7-55
DRAFT EIA REPORT