Features
The Green Money Project’s Push for Eco-Smart Farming in Nigeria
Atinuke Ajeniyi | 26th October 2025

Picture this:  A young farmer in rural Ogun State, driven by ambition and armed with a smartphone, is transforming agriculture through the use of solar-powered tools to irrigate drought-resistant crops. This innovative strategy enhances yields by 30% while significantly cutting down water usage.

This isn’t just an idea; it’s the tangible reality forged by Nigeria’s “Green Money Project,” a groundbreaking initiative designed to redefine sustainable farming by 2025.

With agriculture contributing 23.33% to Nigeria’s GDP in Q1 2025 and employing over 34% of the workforce, despite confronting youth unemployment rates as high as 53.4%, this program serves as a crucial stepping stone for eco-conscious agripreneurs eager to make an impact. Seize the chance to join the green revolution and finance your sustainable farm today!

Green Money Project and its Benefits

The Green Money Project, launched in April 2025 as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is a federal initiative to train and fund Nigerian youths in agribusiness, aiming to spark food security and an economic boom. 

Targeted at youths aged 18 to 40, the Green Money Project focuses on equipping a new generation of farmers with the tools and opportunities needed to succeed in modern agriculture. It integrates training in climate-smart practices, access to renewable technologies, and business mentorship that helps participants operate farms like fully-fledged enterprises. Early pilots in institutions such as the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), are already transforming students into green innovators who see agriculture as an economic opportunity rather than a survival mechanism.

Crucially, the initiative addresses the structural barriers that have long discouraged youth participation in agriculture. Participants are enrolled in specialised training and innovation centres where they receive hands-on education in regenerative farming, digital agriculture, and value chain integration. 

They are also supported with grants and low-interest financing to start or expand production, a major shift from the traditional struggle many young farmers face when securing capital. Through mentorship and market linkages, the programme ensures that produce does not end at the farm gate but reaches processors, exporters, and high-value markets.

Green Money Project Role

Climate shifts have hit arable land with degradation, while floods and droughts threaten yield drops in key regions. Sustainable farming counters this with regenerative tricks, think agroforestry and bio-fertilisers, that restore the earth, curb emissions, and hike profits for adopters.

The Green Money Project amps this up by prioritising eco-grants for tools like drip irrigation, which can trim water needs by 30% and integrate carbon credits for bonus revenue. It’s not aid, it’s smart investment, aligning with global green goals to slash Nigeria’s food imports and add billions to the ag economy.

As Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, aptly notes: “The key is to make agriculture a business. Agriculture is not a way of life, it’s not a development activity, it’s a business.” 

The project embodies this, equipping youth to treat farms like startups, profitable, planet-friendly powerhouses.

Green Money Funding in 5 Simple Steps

 The Green Money Project welcomes beginners with open arms. Here’s how to apply and launch your sustainable ag dream before the October 30, 2025, deadline:

  1. Verify You’re Eligible: Nigerian citizen/resident, 18-40, secondary school grad, and fired up about agribusiness.
  2. Sign Up Swiftly: Register and submit details along with your detailed pitch.
  3. Ace the Training: Shortlisted? Dive into free sessions on green tech and biz basics at partner hubs.
  4. Grab the Funds: Score grants (up to ₦500,000 in similar initiatives) and loans for your project, prioritise sustainable staples like cassava processing.
  5. Scale Green: Link with the project’s network for markets and monitoring. Bonus: Certify your farm for carbon credits to earn 20% extra.