By Agrobroadcast Team
Nigeria has stepped up efforts to confront climate change through agriculture, as the Federal Government moves to cut harmful emissions while strengthening food production systems nationwide.
Speaking in Abuja at the close-out workshop of the Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) Project in the agricultural sector, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, said the country is aligning climate action with food security and economic sustainability.
The workshop, held under the theme “Local Action, National Impact: Building Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture,” reviewed progress made in reducing climate-warming pollutants and promoting environmentally responsible farming practices across Nigeria.
Ogunbiyi explained that the Climate Change Act of 2021 provides Nigeria with a solid legal and institutional foundation to pursue low-emission growth, climate-resilient development, and long-term economic stability. He stressed that agriculture remains central to the nation’s climate strategy because the sector is both highly exposed to climate risks and a major source of methane and black carbon emissions.
According to him, Nigeria’s revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) place agriculture at the forefront of mitigation and adaptation efforts, with specific focus on reducing methane emissions, improving crop residue management, and expanding the adoption of climate-smart farming techniques.
He noted that the SLCP Abatement Project directly supports these national priorities and plays a key role in advancing the country’s NDC Implementation Roadmap.
Ogunbiyi further explained that short-lived climate pollutants—particularly black carbon produced through open field burning and methane emissions from rice farming and livestock production—are among the strongest drivers of near-term global warming.
“Although these pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a shorter period, their warming potential far exceeds that of carbon dioxide, with serious implications for air quality, public health, and agricultural sustainability,” he said.
He added that tackling short-lived climate pollutants offers Nigeria a “triple-win” opportunity by slowing climate warming, improving air quality, and boosting agricultural productivity and resilience.
“This initiative has clearly shown that climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and food security can be achieved at the same time,” Ogunbiyi stated.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of the Department of Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management Services (ALCCMS), Mr. Oshadiya Olanipekun, reaffirmed the government’s resolve to protect livelihoods and ensure sustainable food systems in the face of climate change.
Olanipekun described the workshop as a significant step toward translating Nigeria’s climate commitments into practical actions at the grassroots level. He emphasized that the SLCP project, implemented by Self Help Africa in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), demonstrates that climate-smart agriculture is not only feasible but capable of delivering measurable results.
He added that lessons from the project would help shape future interventions aimed at building a more resilient, low-emission agricultural sector in Nigeria.
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