A large crowd of peasant farmers gathered on Tuesday to protest at the Dangote Sugar Refinery in Yola, Adamawa State, accusing the company of land grabbing. The protesters, drawn from the Kola, Dumna, and Zakawon districts in the Guyuk Local Government Area, vowed to resist the expansion of the sugarcane farm at all costs.
The group, which included the elderly, youths, women, and children, assembled at the sugar factory on Yola-Gombe Road to demand a stop to Dangote’s planned expansion. Brandishing placards with various inscriptions, the visibly distressed farming communities emphasized that their only means of livelihood was being threatened by the expansion plan.
David Time, the leader of the protesters, cautioned that seizing their farmlands would worsen the area’s already fragile peace. He also criticized the Sugar Refinery for neglecting its corporate social responsibility to the communities, citing the lack of medical facilities, classrooms, water, and roads.
Time urged President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to intervene and stop Dangote from encroaching on their farmlands. “Farming is the only means of our livelihood. Our farms are our only livelihood tickets for sustainability. The youths are resolute – we reject in totality any expansion move by the Dangote Sugar Refinery,” he said.
The Dangote Sugar Refinery is owned by Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, whose net worth recently surged to $23 billion, according to a March 2025 report by Business Insider Africa. When approached for comment, Daniel Andrew, the Community Relations Officer for Dangote Sugar Refinery, declined, citing personal health reasons.
