The German government has launched a new initiative to support Nigerian farmers in adapting to climate change.
🌾 By S David Prince
The German government has launched a new initiative to support Nigerian farmers in adapting to climate change.
The project, named the Carbon Offsetting Rice Emissions (CORE) Project, will help 12,000 smallholder farmers in Benue, Nasarawa, and Kano states. The goal is to teach them new ways of farming rice that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also increasing their harvests.
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Annett Günther, emphasized the urgency of the initiative, stating, "There is an urgent need for practical steps to reduce emissions and strengthen the resilience of agriculture, given the escalating impacts of climate change."
The project, a three-year pilot running until 2027, will be implemented by GIZ and Olam Agri. It will introduce techniques like alternate wetting and drying and the use of biochar to improve soil health and significantly reduce methane emissions, which are a major byproduct of traditional rice farming.
Mr. Paul Nicholson, Senior Vice President of Rice at Olam Agri, highlighted the economic benefit for farmers, saying that "Carbon credits give farmers a stake in climate action, rewarding their adoption of climate-smart agriculture."
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change, Mr. Olamide Fagbuji, underscored the importance of the initiative, noting that without such innovation, the challenges of food insecurity and rising emissions would only intensify. He said, "That’s why the CORE project is vital."
This project is a powerful example of how international partnerships can provide practical, on-the-ground solutions to major global problems.
By focusing on a staple crop like rice, the initiative directly addresses both food security and environmental sustainability in a single effort. The model of using carbon credits to financially reward farmers for sustainable practices is a promising approach that could be a game-changer for Nigerian agriculture.
If this pilot program is successful, it could be scaled up to empower millions of other farmers, leading to a more resilient food system and a significant reduction in the country's carbon footprint.
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