In May 2007, the transnational company Michelin, the world’s second largest producer of tires, was granted rights to more than 3,500 hectares of land in Nigeria’s Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve.
“[The] Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve has been described in time past as one of the forest and biodiversity-rich regions of Nigeria. Around Iguobazuwa, more than 20,000 agrarian people live. They depend on the forest for their daily livelihoods and furthermore they used to have their farmlands around the forests to cultivate the land,” explains a recent report by the World Rainforest Movement (WRM).
Soon after the company arrived it began to bulldoze the region, eventually depriving the local population of their livelihoods, the forest and their communal farm lands. As many as nine communities were left with nothing.
Since then, several members of the communities have attempted to speak up, but without much success.
Refusing to give up, however, Women from the communities organized a two-day gathering last November, so members could share their experiences and develop a plan to get their lands back.
When the gathering came to a close, the participants stood together, committed to reclaiming their lands, and to never give up ‘until every felled tree is replaced and they are given full compensation for the crops they have lost.’
Immediately after the gathering, however, Michelin tried to break apart this new-found solidarity, by giving compensation to two — and only two — of the nine communities.
The first community was paid an ‘equal amount to the lands they lost while the other community… was payed what the community people described as peanuts, as, according to them, it was a far cry from the extent of destruction and was not commensurate with the amount valued for the crops destroyed,” says the WRM
Unfortunately, the petty tactic managed to create divisions between the communities, but even so, it remains a distant second to the hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and major health risks the communities will face unless their demands are met.
To that end, please take a moment to a send a letter to Michelin and to the Nigerian Government.
John Ahniwanika Schertow is an indigenous rights activist of Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) and mixed-European descent. For the past 8 years, he has served as the e... 
michelin, shame on you,know you wiil be remember by whot you build not by what you distroled, history will george you. The road leading to the land you stoled from the poor and the blind,must shuold be a digrase to you and your entired company. you know there is no road like that in your country, what in the world are you guys thinking? you think you can just go to any country and take avantage and disrespect the people of the land? would you do that to your own mother and father? what if someone is doing this to your entired family? know the people will share thier poorverty you, if you dont share your richies with the poor, or you move out of the land. we will not stand by and for gridiness distroed the people and the land. I was in nigeria from the united state last december with my wife and kids for chritmas, we took atrip to the national park, we was disapointed my goodness people are evil, the whole world need to see what michelin, okomu and the goverment are doing to that area with thier grid. you guys need to do what is right. or the whole world will see you on CNN. get ready to smile on camera for CNN. next time we’re in nigeria for planet in peril documentory.
i am a native of iguobazuwa thank you for the comment above i am forwarding your imformation to amnesty international in stuttgart germany . I WAS BORN AT NUMBER 15 OFFUNMWENGBE STREET IGUOBAZUWA i will not close my eye to see french company michelin destoying my father land
It is sickening! The way westerners continue to pillage through Africa with complete disregard for the people. But let us not forget the part that we play in it. Afterall, who sold them the land? When will we say ENOUGH? and reclaim what is rightfully ours? The most beautiful continent on this planet with the most natural resources. If Africa were to put a border around it, we could survive easily but the rest of the world will fall. Yet we remain at the bottom of the pile. Michelin, a time will come when we will forcefully take back what should have been amicably shared and then where will you be?