Florence Adidi, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has said that the Climate Smart approach would boost food production, enhance economic growth as well as revolutionize the agricultural ecosystem.
The Minister said this during the COP30 side event at the Africa Food Systems Summit 2025, held in Dakar, Senegal.
Sen. Kyari stated that the Nigerian food system requires climate-smart approaches such as resilient seeds, soil protection, water management, and clean energy use, among others.
The Minister pointed out that advancement made in solar-powered irrigation, climate-resilient crop varieties, and integrated pasture systems as evidence of how innovation could support resilience.
He shared the example from Nigeria’s progress, citing the System of Rice Intensification, which has doubled yields, increased farmer incomes, created over 30,000 jobs, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Kyari noted the role of young people in agricultural transformation, pointing to initiatives such as the Soilless Farm Lab in Nigeria, which combines sustainable production with youth and women empowerment.
The Minister highlighted Africa’s priorities in the agriculture ecosystem, which includes “more climate finance for agriculture, stronger technology transfer, access to carbon credit markets, and robust partnerships to scale up innovations.”
He lauded the efforts of the African Development Bank, (AfDB), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), AIM4Scale, the Government of Brazil, CGIAR, Embrapa, FARA, the Gates Foundation, and Partners from the United Arab Emirates for organizing the platform for dialogue.