Daniel Adaji
The Federal Government has announced decisive steps to phase out bush burning in agriculture and replace it with climate-smart farming practices aimed at protecting soil health, boosting crop yields and reducing harmful emissions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, disclosed this in Abuja at the close-out workshop of the Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) in the Nigerian Agricultural Sector project, held in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Ogunbiyi said the government’s shift away from traditional burning practices reflects a deliberate effort to modernise agriculture while safeguarding the environment and public health.
According to him, the workshop, held under the theme “Local Action, National Impact: Building Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture,” was not just the end of a project cycle but a major milestone in Nigeria’s response to climate change.
He noted that the initiative focuses on practical, farmer-centred and scalable solutions, particularly in reducing short-lived climate pollutants that pose immediate risks to the environment, human health and food systems.
“This project, implemented by Self Help Africa in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, with funding support from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, CCAC, exemplifies the power of strategic partnerships in translating global climate commitments into local action,” Ogunbiyi said.
He explained that Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021 provides a strong legal and institutional framework for achieving low greenhouse gas emissions, climate-resilient development and sustainable economic growth, with agriculture occupying a strategic position within that framework.
“Within this framework, agriculture occupies a strategic position, as it is both highly vulnerable to climate impacts and a significant source of methane and black carbon emissions,” he stated.
Ogunbiyi added that Nigeria’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) identify agriculture as a priority sector for both mitigation and adaptation, especially through reduced methane emissions, improved residue management and the promotion of climate-smart practices.
“This SLCP Abatement Project directly supports these national priorities and contributes meaningfully to the NDC Implementation Roadmap,” he highlighted.
He further explained that short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon from open field burning and methane from rice cultivation and livestock systems are among the most potent contributors to near-term global warming.
Although their lifespan in the atmosphere is relatively short, he said their warming impact is significantly higher than that of carbon dioxide, with serious implications for air quality, human health and agricultural sustainability.
“For Nigeria-where agriculture remains central to livelihoods, employment, and food security- addressing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants presents a unique triple-win opportunity: to slow near-term climate warming,to improve air quality and public health, and to strengthen agricultural productivity and resilience,” Ogunbiyi said.
He stressed that the project has proven that climate mitigation, adaptation and food security can be pursued together rather than separately.
“This project has convincingly demonstrated that climate mitigation, adaptation, and food security can be pursued simultaneously, not in isolation,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary called on development partners to support scale-up initiatives, longer implementation timelines and results-based financing models. He also urged financial institutions to develop tailored products to support farmers adopting low-emission and climate-smart practices.
Ogunbiyi further encouraged extension agents and farmers to remain ambassadors of no-burn agriculture and resilient farming systems, noting that collective action would ensure lasting national impact.
In his remarks, the Director of Lands and Climate Change Management Services, Mr. Oshadiya Olanipekun, reiterated that short-lived climate pollutants, including methane and black carbon, pose serious risks to the climate, air quality and public health.
“In Nigeria, where agriculture remains a major economic driver and a significant emissions source, addressing SLCPs offers a unique opportunity to reduce global warning, improve environment health and enhance agricultural productivity,” Olanipekun said.
Earlier, the Country Representative of Self Help Africa, Mrs. Joy Aderele, said the project had strengthened extension systems, built farmer capacity and generated evidence to guide policy formulation and national action.
She noted that the outcomes of the initiative would support long-term reforms in the agricultural sector and contribute to Nigeria’s climate goals.
The event attracted representatives of the Benue State Government, Oxfam, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the CCAC Project Manager, officials from the Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders.
