Nigeria’s Shift to Climate-Smart Agriculture
Nigeria is moving to phase out bush burning in agriculture and replace it with climate-smart farming methods. The programme aims to cut emissions, improve air quality and strengthen food security, while keeping farms productive and commercially viable.
Although this is a Nigerian policy initiative, it has wider relevance for UK businesses. It affects agricultural supply chains, emerging carbon markets and the way sustainability performance is measured and financed in developing economies.
Nigeria’s government is backing farmers to stop burning crop residues and instead use farming methods that lock in carbon, reduce air pollution and improve yields. The approach is being tested through a national pilot and is designed to attract climate finance and carbon market funding.
What’s happening
Nigeria’s Federal Government is rolling out an agricultural reform programme aimed at ending the routine use of bush burning on farms. The focus is on replacing burning with climate-smart practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining or improving productivity.
The centrepiece of this work is the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) Abatement Project. The project is being delivered by Self Help Africa in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, with funding from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
Short-lived climate pollutants include methane and black carbon. They remain in the atmosphere for a shorter time than carbon dioxide but have a much stronger warming effect. Traditional bush burning releases large volumes of black carbon and other pollutants in a short period.
The project has been implemented across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Demonstration plots have been established in 15 communities, including areas within Gboko Local Government Area in Benue State. Farmers taking part have been supported to adopt alternatives to open burning.
These alternatives include no-burn land preparation, conservation agriculture techniques and improved residue management. Instead of burning crop waste, residues are left on the soil to improve structure and moisture retention or processed into briquettes that can be used as a household energy source.
According to project data published by delivery partners, participating farmers have reduced emissions while also improving crop yields. The use of residue-based briquettes has helped some households reduce reliance on purchased fuels, cutting energy costs.
This practical, on-farm focus is deliberate. The government’s objective is to demonstrate that emissions reductions in agriculture are achievable without reducing output or income, particularly for smallholder farmers.
The initiative sits within Nigeria’s wider climate policy framework. The Climate Change Act 2021 provides the legal basis for national climate action, while Nigeria’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement identify agriculture as a priority sector for both emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
Agriculture accounts for roughly a quarter of Nigeria’s national greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second-largest emitting sector after energy. That makes farming practices a critical lever for meeting national climate targets.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have described the project as delivering a “triple benefit”: slowing near-term climate warming, improving air quality and public health, and strengthening long-term agricultural productivity.
Alongside changes in farming practice, the government is exploring how verified emissions reductions from agriculture could be linked to climate finance and carbon markets, creating additional revenue streams tied directly to measurable climate outcomes.
Why this matters for UK businesses
For UK businesses, this is not just a domestic Nigerian policy story. It reflects wider shifts in how agricultural emissions are managed, reported and financed across global supply chains.
Supply chains and Scope 3 emissions
Many UK food manufacturers, retailers and traders source commodities or ingredients from West Africa, either directly or through intermediaries. Changes in farming practices can affect yields, quality, pricing and long-term supply resilience.
For businesses with net zero or science-based targets, agricultural emissions typically fall within Scope 3 indirect emissions occurring in the value chain. How these emissions are measured and reduced is under increasing scrutiny from customers, investors and regulators.
Nigeria’s approach highlights growing expectations that suppliers can demonstrate emissions reductions alongside productivity improvements. In practical terms, this means better data, clearer traceability and greater visibility of farming methods.
Carbon markets and climate finance
The project also illustrates the increasing overlap between agriculture and carbon markets. If emissions reductions from farming can be verified and standardised, they may be incorporated into carbon credit schemes.
UK businesses already participating in voluntary carbon markets will be watching these developments closely, particularly as scrutiny around credit quality and additionality continues to rise.
Risk, resilience and reputation
There is also a risk and compliance dimension. Air pollution from open burning has significant public health impacts and may attract tighter regulation over time. Businesses sourcing from regions where burning remains common could face reputational questions if practices are seen as outdated or harmful.
On the opportunity side, climate-smart agriculture can support more resilient supply chains. Practices such as residue retention and conservation agriculture improve soil health and drought tolerance, which matters as climate volatility increases.
UK companies involved in development finance, impact investment or sustainable procurement may also see clearer frameworks emerge for engaging with smallholder agriculture in ways that deliver verified climate outcomes.
From a reporting perspective, initiatives like this may influence future expectations under UK sustainability reporting rules, with less tolerance for broad claims and more emphasis on evidence-based impacts.
For small and medium-sized UK businesses, the key lesson is not that action in Nigeria is immediately required, but that expectations around agricultural sustainability are becoming more concrete, structured and measurable.
Key facts at a glance
Nigeria is phasing out bush burning in agriculture in favour of climate-smart farming methods
The SLCP Abatement Project is delivered by Self Help Africa with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
Funding is provided by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition
The project operates across all six of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones
Demonstration plots have been established in 15 communities
Practices promoted include no-burn farming, conservation agriculture and residue-to-briquette technologies
Agriculture accounts for around 25% of Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions
The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Climate Change Act 2021 and updated NDCs
The government is exploring links to carbon markets and results-based climate finance
SBS insight
From our perspective, this initiative illustrates a broader shift in how sustainability is being applied to agriculture. The emphasis is moving away from abstract commitments towards practical measures that deliver environmental and commercial benefits at the same time.
Stopping bush burning is a clear example. It reduces emissions and air pollution, while also protecting soil quality and lowering input costs over time. That combination is what makes change stick.
For UK businesses, the key takeaway is that climate-smart agriculture is entering the mainstream. Expectations are rising that sustainability actions will be measurable, verifiable and linked to productivity rather than trade-offs.
We are also seeing growing interest in linking operational changes to finance. Whether through carbon markets, green loans or supplier incentives, the direction of travel is towards paying for outcomes rather than intentions.
This reinforces the need for robust data and credible reporting. Organisations that understand their supply chains and can evidence improvements will be better positioned as requirements tighten.
At SBS, we typically help businesses assess these developments through a commercial lens identifying where risks sit, where value can be created, and how to respond proportionately without over-engineering solutions.
Global examples like Nigeria’s provide useful reference points. They show how policy, farming practice and finance can align, and help clarify what “good” looks like in agricultural sustainability.
Further reading
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