FG seeks stronger commonwealth partnerships for climate-smart agriculture and food security

Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to working with Commonwealth partners, development organizations, and the private sector to drive climate innovation. Speaking at the Commonwealth Roundtable on Climate Finance and Food Security in London, he outlined Nigeria’s efforts under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative to ensure food security while fostering environmentally friendly communities.

The Minister emphasized that Nigeria is directing private investments into climate-smart food production, storage infrastructure, and transportation networks. He noted that the Nigeria Living Lands Initiative aligns with the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter, promoting land restoration, conservation, and climate-smart agriculture.

According to a statement by Dr. Felix Ale, spokesman for the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), key initiatives include the Green Economy Transition Project, which aims to restore 50,000 hectares of degraded land, incorporate agroforestry techniques, and generate between $2,000 and $3,000 per hectare in new income streams.

Another major initiative, the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Value Preservation Project, is focused on improving agricultural productivity through solar-powered drying, cold storage, and biochar processing. These measures are expected to boost crop yields by 40% and significantly reduce post-harvest losses.

Chief Nnaji stressed the importance of strengthening Commonwealth partnerships to address global climate challenges.

He called for collaboration in establishing a Commonwealth Center for Climate-Smart Agriculture, which would serve as a platform for knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and scaling innovative food security initiatives.

He also urged Commonwealth nations to simplify access to climate finance, ensuring that developing nations can secure the funding needed for large-scale adaptation projects.

Additionally, he advocated for empowering youth and women in climate-agriculture solutions, noting that over 60% of the Commonwealth’s population is under 30. Engaging youth-led agritech startups and women-led agricultural enterprises, he said, would drive innovation in food systems.

The Minister further called for partnerships in carbon credit trading and sustainable agriculture investments, which would create new revenue streams while ensuring environmental sustainability.

He emphasized that climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss pose serious threats to food security across the 56 Commonwealth nations. In Nigeria, rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns have led to declining agricultural yields and disruptions in food supply chains.

The country loses about 351,000 hectares of land to desertification annually, with 11 northern states severely affected.

Annual floods destroy over 100,000 hectares of farmland, displacing millions and reducing food availability.

Coastal erosion in Lagos, Bayelsa, and Delta states claims between 30 and 40 meters of land annually, endangering both communities and agricultural activities.

Nigeria also faces significant environmental challenges, including pollution of inland water bodies, which threatens fish stocks and the livelihoods of artisanal fishers.

The Lake Chad Basin has shrunk by over 90% since the 1960s, severely impacting water supply for irrigation and livestock.

The country loses between 350,000 and 400,000 hectares of forest annually, ranking among the highest deforestation rates in the world.

More than 95% of Nigerian farmers rely on unpredictable rainfall, making them vulnerable to droughts and extreme weather conditions.

Rapid urbanization, with a rate exceeding 4% annually, is also leading to the conversion of fertile farmlands into residential and commercial developments, reducing available land for food production.

Meanwhile, Nigeria remains the largest gas flaring country in Africa, emitting over 7 billion cubic meters of gas annually, which contributes to respiratory diseases and environmental degradation.

Despite having the potential to be a net food exporter, the country spends over $10 billion annually on food imports.

To address these challenges, Nigeria has embraced climate-smart agriculture and digital farming innovations. The country has championed climate-adaptive crops such as Tela Maize and improved cotton varieties that resist drought, pests, and extreme weather conditions, ensuring higher productivity with lower environmental impact.

Digital agriculture is also on the rise, with AI-driven precision farming, automated irrigation, and remote sensing technology helping smallholder farmers optimize inputs and minimize losses.

Additionally, clean energy solutions such as solar-powered irrigation and bioenergy systems are transforming rural farming communities, enabling sustainable food production even in water-scarce regions.

The government is also implementing a clean cooking initiative using Low Pressurized Compressed Natural Gas (LPCNG) technology, which is expected to reduce dependence on deforestation-driven biomass fuels.

The Waste-to-Wealth initiative is another key project, focusing on developing an integrated biodigester network capable of producing 2 million cubic meters of biogas and 50,000 tons of organic fertilizer annually.

This effort is projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 300,000 tons of CO₂ annually while providing clean energy access to over 10,000 households.

Chief Nnaji emphasized that while technological innovation is critical, sustainable financing is essential to scaling these solutions.

Nigeria is unlocking climate finance through Green Bonds, Climate Resilience Funds, and Public-Private Partnerships.

The country previously experimented with Green Bonds in 2017 and 2019, financing projects in afforestation, renewable energy, and climate-smart agriculture.

The Minister stated that with the right partnerships, similar funding mechanisms could be expanded to support agricultural value chains and food processing enterprises.

Nigeria is also leveraging the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub to access international climate finance, supporting its National Technology Action Plan, which focuses on accelerating technology adoption in agriculture, energy, and industry.

Chief Nnaji underscored the need for urgent action, stressing that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest population and a nation rich in agricultural potential, is leading efforts to integrate innovation, climate finance, and sustainable food systems.

He expressed hope that the Commonwealth Roundtable on Climate Finance and Food Security would serve as a crucial platform to address these pressing challenges, align policies, and mobilize resources for a more resilient and food-secure future.