By Faridat Salifu
The Federal Government has urged banks to close Nigeria’s climate finance gap in agriculture by developing financing models that help farmers adopt low-emission, climate-resilient practices that reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), powerful but short-lived greenhouse gases and particles that drive near-term warming.
The call also extended to development partners to support the scale-up of climate initiatives by providing longer project timelines and adopting results-based financing approaches that strengthen adaptation in the agricultural sector.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the remarks last Tuesday in Abuja at the close-out ceremony of the Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants project in agriculture.
Ogunbiyi said financial institutions play a key role in scaling climate-smart solutions by offering credit products aligned with the needs of smallholder farmers and the risks posed by climate change.
He urged agricultural extension agents and farmers to act as ambassadors for no-burn agriculture and other climate-resilient practices nationwide.
According to Ogunbiyi, the close-out marked not only the end of a project cycle but a milestone in Nigeria’s effort to confront climate change through practical, scalable, farmer-centred solutions that cut SLCPs and protect food systems, public health, and the environment.
He explained that black carbon from open field burning and methane from rice cultivation and livestock systems are among the most potent SLCPs, which, despite their short atmospheric lifespan compared with carbon dioxide, have a strong warming effect.
The project, funded by the Climate And Clean Air Coalition and implemented by Self Help Africa, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was carried out across more than 20 demonstration plots in 15 communities.
Ogunbiyi noted that while the project achieved significant results, systemic challenges remain, including poor rural road access, limited infrastructure for manure and crop residue management, inadequate access to farm equipment, and low awareness of no-burn practices and agricultural credit opportunities.
He said sustainable mitigation of SLCPs in agriculture requires enabling infrastructure, effective extension services, inclusive financing, and strong institutional coordination.
From a policy perspective, Ogunbiyi said the project highlighted the need to integrate SLCP reduction into national agricultural and climate frameworks, including Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions, long-term low-emission development strategies, and climate adaptation plans.
The Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, said the project demonstrated practical and scalable no-burn alternatives that reduce SLCPs while improving soil health, farm productivity, and farmer livelihoods.
Aderele added that the initiative strengthened extension systems, built farmer capacity, and generated evidence to inform policy and national climate action.
She called for deliberate strategies to sustain and scale climate-smart practices beyond the lifespan of the project.
