Gudigwa promise broken as lease renewals shut out community :: Mmegi Online

A simmering grievance in the remote village of Gudigwa has reignited after the government confirmed that lucrative safari concessions NG14 and NG16 will remain in the hands of existing operators for years to come, effectively dashing long-standing expectations that the land would be returned to the community.

Responding to a parliamentary question on Monday, Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti made it clear that the concessions are not available for redistribution. The current leaseholders have secured renewals under the provisions of older agreements, a development that sharply cuts against a decade of promises made to the Gudigwa community.

“Concession areas NG14 and NG16 are currently not available for leasing to any other entity as the current operators have been granted lease renewals following their request made in 2019 and 2020,” Dikoloti told Parliament.

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