By Agrobroadcast Team
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to phase out traditional open-field burning in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, opting instead for modern, climate-smart farming techniques aimed at preserving soil quality, boosting crop yields, and cutting harmful emissions.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, disclosed this at the close-out workshop of the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) Abatement Project in the Nigerian Agricultural Sector, held recently in Wuye, Abuja.
Speaking at the event, themed “Local Action, National Impact: Building Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture,” Ogunbiyi described the workshop as more than the end of a project cycle, noting that it represents a critical step in Nigeria’s broader response to climate change through practical and farmer-focused solutions.
He explained that the initiative places strong emphasis on cutting short-lived climate pollutants such as methane and black carbon which pose immediate threats to the environment, public health, and food systems.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the SLCP Abatement Project, implemented by Self Help Africa in partnership with the Ministry and supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), demonstrates how strong collaborations can convert global climate goals into tangible action at the community level.
He further referenced Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021, which provides the legal and institutional backbone for achieving low-emission growth, climate resilience, and sustainable economic development. Within this framework, Ogunbiyi noted, agriculture remains pivotal both as a sector highly exposed to climate shocks and as a notable contributor to methane and black carbon emissions.
Nigeria’s revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), he said, prioritise agriculture for both mitigation and adaptation through improved residue management, methane reduction, and the widespread adoption of climate-smart practices. He stressed that the SLCP Abatement Project aligns directly with these national objectives and supports the country’s NDC implementation roadmap.
Ogunbiyi explained that while short-lived climate pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a relatively brief period, their warming effect is far more intense than carbon dioxide, with severe implications for air quality, human health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.
“For a country like Nigeria, where agriculture underpins livelihoods, employment, and food security, tackling SLCPs offers a triple benefit slowing near-term climate warming, improving public health, and strengthening agricultural productivity,” he said.
He therefore urged development partners to back scale-up efforts, longer-term project implementation, and results-based financing. He also called on financial institutions to develop farmer-friendly products that support the transition to low-emission farming, while encouraging extension workers and farmers to champion no-burn agriculture and resilient farming systems nationwide.
Also speaking at the event, Director of Lands and Climate Change Management Services, Mr. Oshadiya Olanipekun, reiterated that pollutants such as methane and black carbon continue to pose serious risks to climate stability, air quality, and public health.
He noted that addressing these emissions presents Nigeria with a strategic opportunity to curb global warming while enhancing environmental health and agricultural output.
Earlier, Country Representative of Self Help Africa, Mrs. Joy Aderele, highlighted that the project has strengthened agricultural extension systems, improved farmer capacity, and generated critical evidence to guide policy formulation and national climate action.
The workshop drew participants from key institutions, including representatives of the Benue State Government, Oxfam, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the CCAC Project Management team, and the Federal Ministry of Environment, among others.