Jigawa State Government has reviewed the amount of money to be paid henceforth as compensation for land and economic trees taken by the government.
The government’s spokesperson, Sagir Ahmad, said the decision followed deliberations at the state Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday, presided over by the Governor, Umar Namadi.
Mr Ahmad said higher compensation will be paid for properties in the Emirate council headquarters – Dutse, Hadejia, Kazaure, Ringim and Gumel than in the remaining 22 local government headquarters and other urban areas.
He said the council approved an increase from N75,000 to N800,000 per hectare for land at the Emirates headquarters.
Land in other urban areas was reviewed from N60,000 to N600,000 per hectare while rural areas – were from N50,000 to N500,000 per hectare and Fadama/Irrigable areas -N100,000 to N1,000,000 per hectare.
Mr Ahmad also said the compensation for economic trees has been increased by about 800 per cent.
He said compensation for trees like mango was reviewed from N2,700 to N21,600 per tree among others.
The council has also agreed to henceforth review compensation rates every five years as stipulated in the Land Use Act, he added.
“The upward review of compensation rates for both Land and Economic Trees in the State that has not been reviewed for 15 Years.
“The development is in line with the present administration’s 12 Points agenda which includes Land Reforms and Environmental sustainability considering land as the most important asset for Jigawa State people,” Mr Ahmad said.
Recent controversy on compensation in the state
Some locals, since 2017, had been protesting the decision by the government of Jigawa State to hand over 12,000 hectares of land spread across four local government areas to a Chinese investor while paying them pittance as compensation.
The complaints were that they got N30,000, and N8,000 as compensation for their farmlands.
They protested that the government’s decision is a threat to the livelihood of about 150,000 persons across four council areas – Gagarawa, Taura, Suletankarkar and Garki whose farmlands were acquired.
The land was given to Lee Group, a Chinese sugar producer to set up a sugarcane plantation.
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