BRUSSELS, (BELGIUM) / BENIN CITY (NIGERIA), August 30, 2010 – The amount of land being taken in Africa to meet Northern countries’ increasing demand for biofuels is underestimated and out of control, new investigations by Friends of the Earth reveal today. Biofuels for Europe driving land grabbing in Africa

The research, which looked at 11 African countries, found at least five million hectares of land – an area the size of Denmark – is being acquired by foreign companies to produce biofuels mainly for Northern markets.

The practice – known as land grabbing – is increasing and is dominated by European and Chinese companies. However with official public information largely absent, current figures are likely to be only a snapshot and gross underestimates.

The report, ‘Africa: Up For Grabs’ reveals how local communities are having their land taken and there are few safeguards for local community land rights. Forests and natural vegetation are being cleared, and biofuels are competing with food crops for farmland.

Read/Download the full report

The decision of British America Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) to carry on with secret smoking parties where underage persons are conscripted into smoking is not only offensive but a strategy of getting more girls to take to the smoking habit, foremost environmental rights advocacy group, Environmental Rights Action (ERA) has said.

ERA, in reaction to a smoking party organised by BAT as part of its Bursting with Flavour promotion of the Pall Mall brand in Lagos, said the event was 'a shameless disregard for public health and lack of respect to the laws of the country.

Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Netherlands have expressed doubts about the United Nations' ability or willingness to conduct an independent assessment of widespread oil spills in the Niger Delta.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is conducting a research project on the environmental impact of at least 300 sites that were contaminated in Ogoniland, which is part of the oil-rich region. There is no consensus on the causes of these spills. Oil companies say they are mainly the result of theft and sabotage, while environmental organisations point their fingers at negligent oil giants such as Shell, which started oil exploration in the Niger Delta in the 1950’s.

“When UNEP went to the Niger Delta, our logical assumption was that they would do an unbiased survey and produce an unbiased report”, Akinbode Oluwafemi, of the Environmental Rights Action told Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Click here to listen to the interview).

Given the age-long travails and aspirations of the oil producing communities of the Niger Delta, we see the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Asaba, on an oil spill dispute, ordering the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to pay N15.4 billion damages to the Ejama-Ebubu community in Rivers State, as a most salutary development. For over 40 years, the Ejama-Ebubu community in Tai Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State had endured the agonies of oil spills without any compensation from Shell, before it went to court nine years ago to demand redress. The oil giant has indicated its decision to appeal against the judgement.

(Independent Newspapers)Failure of Zamfara State government to enforce strict environmental regulation on solid mineral extraction and its disappointing performance in providing basic social amenities and employment to local communities are directly responsible for recent deaths resulting from mining sites and several communities, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has stated.