Azura has acquired approximately 100 hectares of land which is large enough to facilitate the construction of both phases of the plant. The Edo State Government (EDSG) has provided this land to the Azura project in exchange for a small minority stake in the project, equivalent to the value of the land and associated infrastructure support.
The land was compulsorily acquired pursuant to Sections 28 (1) and 38 of the Nigerian Land Use Act of 1978, the applicable legislation which vests legal ownership of land in State Governors, held in trust for the people. The actual acquisition process commenced with the revocation of all existing rights and interests in the land, and a call for comments and complaints from affected parties for the purpose of paying compensation. The notice of revocation of extant rights and the government’s intention to make use of the land was published in the official Government Gazette of 16th June 2011 and national newspaper (Vanguard) and State newspaper (Observer) both on 23 June 2011. The land acquisition process was officially completed with the transfer of title to Azura by the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy in June 2012.
In addition, EDSG’s equity stake in Azura enables the State Government to ensure that its and its peoples’ interests are aligned to that of Azura, thus promoting the corporate and social responsibility that both EDSG and Azura are committed to upholding.