Nigeria has begun a shift away from traditional crop burning towards modern climate-smart agricultural practices, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has announced.
The move will protect soil health, improve yields, and reduce harmful emissions that contribute to climate change.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, announced the close-out workshop for the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) abatement project held at Hotel 2020 in Wuye, Abuja.
The workshop, themed “Local Action, National Impact: Building Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture”, marked the end of the SLCP project cycle and highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to combating climate change through scalable, farmer-focused solutions.
Dr Ogunbiyi explained that the project was implemented by Self Help Africa in collaboration with the ministry and funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
He described the partnership as a strong example of how global climate commitments can be turned into practical local action.
Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021 provides the legal and institutional framework for achieving low greenhouse gas emissions, climate-resilient development, and sustainable economic growth.
Within this framework, agriculture is both highly vulnerable to climate impacts and a major source of methane and black carbon emissions.
The country’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) prioritise the agricultural sector for mitigation and adaptation, especially through improved residue management, reduced methane emissions, and the promotion of climate-smart farming practices.
Dr Ogunbiyi said the SLCP project supports these priorities and contributes directly to the NDC Implementation Roadmap.
Short-lived climate pollutants, particularly black carbon from open field burning and methane from rice cultivation and livestock, are among the most potent drivers of near-term global warming.
Though their atmospheric lifespan is short, their warming impact is significantly higher thanthat of carbon dioxide.
Dr Ogunbiyi noted that reducing SLCPs offers a “triple-win” opportunity for Nigeria: slowing climate warming, improving air quality and public health, and strengthening agricultural productivity and resilience.
The Permanent Secretary urged development partners to support scaling up climate-smart farming initiatives through longer implementation timelines and results-based financing models.
He also called on financial institutions to design tailored support for farmers adopting low-emission practices, and encouraged extension agents and farmers to become advocates for no-burn agriculture.
Mr Oshadiya Olanipekun, Director of Lands and Climate Change Management Services, reiterated that addressing SLCPs presents a major opportunity to reduce global warming while improving agricultural productivity and public health.
Mrs Joy Aderele, Country Representative of Self Help Africa, added that the project strengthened extension systems, built farmer capacity, and generated evidence to inform national policy.
The workshop was attended by representatives from Benue State government, Oxfam, IITA, WFP, the CCA project team, and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Source: FMINO
