Ministry Urges Pollutants Mitigation In National Climate Policies

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has called for the full integration of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) mitigation into Nigeria’s national agricultural and climate frameworks.

The call came as stakeholders concluded a major project aimed at reducing emissions from open field burning in Nigeria.

The stakeholders gathered at a close-out workshop on the abatement of SLCP in the Nigerian agricultural sector in Abuja yesterday.

The initiative, implemented by Self Help Africa in collaboration with the ministry and supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, focused on promoting no-burn alternatives and climate-smart farming practices among smallholder farmers.

Delivering the keynote address, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, said the project demonstrated how local, farmer-led solutions could advance Nigeria’s climate goals while strengthening food security.

He noted that agriculture occupies a strategic position within Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021, given its vulnerability to climate impacts and its role as a source of methane and black carbon emissions.

He said that lessons from the project align directly with Nigeria’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions and long-term low-emission development strategies.

Ogunbiyi said the project, which ran across the six geopolitical zones with a major demonstration site in Gboko, Benue State, recorded significant behavioural change among farmers.

According to him, over 20 demonstration plots in 15 communities adopted improved practices such as water-efficient rice production, climate-resilient cowpea farming, sustainable residue management, mulching, and the use of briquette technology to convert farm waste into clean energy.

He said, “Short-lived climate pollutants, especially black carbon from open field burning and methane from rice cultivation and livestock systems, pose immediate risks to our environment, public health, and food systems, even though they remain in the atmosphere for a relatively short time.

He said, “This project reinforces the need to mainstream Short-Lived Climate Pollutants mitigation into national agricultural and climate policies, including Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions, long-term low-emission development strategies, and climate adaptation frameworks.”

The country director of Self Help Africa,  Joy Aderele said the project showed that practical and scalable no-burn alternatives could reduce black carbon emissions while improving soil health, productivity, and livelihoods.

She added that the initiative strengthened extension systems, built farmer capacity, and generated evidence to support policy formulation and national action.

In his opening address, the director of the Department of Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management Services, Oshadiya Olanipekun said the project underscored the feasibility of translating Nigeria’s climate commitments into concrete action. He stressed that addressing SLCPs offered Nigeria a pathway to reduce near-term warming, improve air quality, and enhance agricultural productivity, while calling for stronger partnerships to scale up the gains.