Experts move to chart path for sustainable agriculture, climate resilience

As Nigeria faces a growing crisis of food insecurity, climate-induced land degradation, and unsafe farming practices, the need for urgent, coordinated action has never been greater.

The African Centre for Climate Action and Rural Development Initiative (ACCARD), in collaboration with the African Climate Foundation (ACF), will be hosting a stakeholder and policy engagement on Climate Change, Sustainable Land Use and Agriculture (SLUA) in Abuja from 8 to 10, July 2025

According to Freeman Elohor, centre coordinator at ACCARD, the engagement comes at a time when rapid population growth, worsening environmental degradation, and the rising use of harmful agrochemicals are placing unsustainable pressure on Nigeria’s food systems.

It will serve as a strategic platform to generate smart, inclusive, and actionable solutions through policy reform, innovation, and high-level collaboration.

Read also: Women farmers, journalists, traditional rulers push for sustainable agriculture

“This is more than a meeting; it is a strategic step toward climate resilience, food security, and a sustainable future for all Nigerians,” he said.

The event aims to build on a comprehensive study conducted by the African Climate Foundation in April 2025, which assessed Nigeria’s agroecological practices and identified key barriers and opportunities for scaling nature-based solutions.

The Abuja engagement will validate these findings and build both policy and financial momentum toward Nigeria’s agroecological transition.

“The transition to sustainable land use and agriculture is not just an environmental necessity — it is an economic and social imperative for Nigeria,” Japeth Muli, a member of ACF, said.

He added: “Through this engagement, we aim to support the Nigerian government and partners in creating enabling policies, unlocking financing, and strengthening local capacity to build a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable food system.”

Read also: FGN/IFAD-VCDP Initiative: How farmers are embracing, promoting sustainable agriculture in Nasarawa

The summit will be attended by representatives from the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Senate Committee on Climate Change, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

It will be focused on four key priorities: raising awareness of the adverse effects of harmful agrochemical use; strengthening institutional coordination and technical capacity; unlocking financing pathways for smallholder farmers, sustainable food systems coupled with ecosystem restoration; and building broad-based coalitions for grassroots mobilisation and policy advocacy.

The statement notes that it will bring together top-level government officials, development partners, academic experts, civil society actors, and financial institutions to jointly address the intersecting challenges of climate change, food insecurity, land degradation, and unsustainable farming practices in Nigeria.