Nigeria has signed a $3 million agreement for a climate-smart greenhouse project in Kano State, using COP31 to pitch agriculture as an investment opportunity.
The memorandum of understanding was signed Wednesday on the sidelines of the COP 31 summit in Türkiye. It was witnessed by Abubakar Kyari, minister of Agriculture and Food Security,
The pilot will deploy about 1,000 climate-adapted greenhouses for tomato production under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme.
The Bank of Agriculture will provide $1.5 million to create a structured financing mechanism for participating farmers.
Turkish firm Direkci Group will contribute another $1.5 million in private-sector financing, alongside greenhouse technology, engineering, installation and technical support.
Kyari said the deal was a practical step toward modernising production and attracting private capital.
“Our ambition must go beyond producing more food,” he said.
“The President has given us that marching order and has demanded since he declared an emergency on food, that we must build an agricultural sector that is modern, productive, commercially viable, and capable of creating wealth for our people.”
He said the project would prioritise women and smallholder farmers through access to productive assets, financing, technical mentorship and market linkages.
The partners agreed to a joint performance review after nine months, with a possible commercial expansion involving greenhouse systems and equipment valued at a minimum of $30 million, subject to agreed acquisitions and performance milestones.
Kyari warned that delivery would determine success, urging timely infrastructure, transparent farmer selection, effective financing and measurable outcomes.
A representative of Direkci Group said the company had confidence in Nigeria and was prepared to deepen investment and extend its technology to other parts of the country.
“We believe in a great Nigeria,” the representative said. “When we look at the history, Nigeria already has a great future, and we believe in the future of Nigeria.”
Earlier, Tenioye Majekodunmi, director-general of the National Council on Climate Change, said Nigeria was seeking partnerships that turn climate commitments into investments.
“For Nigeria, climate implementation must mean economic opportunity,” she said.
The Nigeria Day event also featured the unveiling of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker, known as NOGIET, by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in partnership with Stakeholder Democracy Network, Global Methane Hub and other regulators.
At a separate NUPRC side event, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, commission chief executive, said Nigeria was well positioned to become a leading carbon capture, utilisation and storage hub in Africa, citing depleted reservoirs, existing infrastructure and a regulatory framework.
She said assessments by the Clean Air Task Force showed methane-abatement measures could cut emissions by about 533 kilotonnes annually, with some costs potentially recovered through commercialisation of captured gas.
She also said Nigeria’s Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme could support projects using up to 250 million standard cubic feet of gas daily and unlock investment estimated at $2.2 billion.
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Josephine Okojie-Okeiyi is a journalist with over five years’ reporting experience. She writes on industry, agriculture, commodities, climate change, and environmental issues.
She is fellow of Thomson Reuters Foundation and Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa.
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