Climate smart farming project opens new business opportunities in Nigeria

Nigeria’s drive to cut agricultural emissions is opening new commercial opportunities across farming, clean energy, and climate finance, following the close-out of a major climate-smart agriculture project in Abuja.

At the close-out workshop of the Project in Abuja recently, tagged: “Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) in the Nigerian Agricultural Sector by Reducing Open Field Burning( No Burning Alternative)”, it showed that replacing open field burning with no burn alternatives can improve farm productivity, reduce costs and create new rural value chains.

In his remarks, Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the project proved that climate action could directly support economic growth.

“This project has convincingly demonstrated that climate mitigation adaptation and food security can be pursued simultaneously not in isolation.

“For Nigeria, addressing short lived climate pollutants presents a unique triple win opportunity to slow near term climate warming improve air quality and strengthen agricultural productivity”, he said.

He said the results provided a scalable national model that could attract climate finance and private sector participation particularly through carbon market mechanisms.

Earlier, Oshadiya Olanopekun, Director, Department of Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said the project translated national climate commitments into practical business outcomes at community level.

“The SLCP abatement project represents a clear demonstration that climate smart agriculture is both achievable and impactful.

“These interventions did not only reduce emissions they strengthened resilience and livelihoods at the community level”, Olanopekun added.

The director noted that improved rice and cowpea production residue management and alternatives to burning such as briquette technologies have economic implications for farmers and small scale processors.

The project was implemented by SELF HELP AFRICA with support from CLIMATE AND CLEAN AIR COALITION and covered all six geopolitical zones with demonstration sites in Benue State.

Joy Aderele, Country Director, SELF HELP AFRICA, said the project created evidence that could attract investment and support policy scale up.

“This project has demonstrated practical and scalable no burn alternatives that reduce black carbon while improving soil health farm productivity and farmer livelihoods,” Aderele said.

“It has also generated evidence to inform policy and national action beyond the life of this project”, she stated.

She said the outcomes open opportunities for agribusinesses clean energy entrepreneurs extension service providers and financial institutions to support climate smart farming systems.

For investors and agribusiness operators the message from Abuja was clear. Climate smart agriculture is emerging as both an environmental solution and a growing business frontier in Nigeria.