The Federal Government has urged financial institutions to develop tailored financing products to enable farmers to adopt low-emission, climate-smart agricultural practices, as climate change continues to impact food production across the country.

The government also called on development partners to support the scale-up of climate initiatives by extending implementation periods and adopting result-based financing models to strengthen climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the close-out ceremony of the Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) in the agricultural sector project.

Ogunbiyi further urged agricultural extension agents and farmers to act as ambassadors for no-burn agriculture and climate-resilient farming systems nationwide.

According to him, the close-out ceremony was not merely the end of a project cycle but a major milestone in Nigeria’s collective effort to confront climate change through practical, farmer-centred and scalable agricultural solutions, particularly those aimed at reducing short-lived climate pollutants that pose immediate risks to the environment, public health and food systems.

He explained that short-lived climate pollutants—especially black carbon from open field burning and methane from rice cultivation and livestock systems—are among the most potent drivers of near-term global warming. Although they remain in the atmosphere for a shorter period than carbon dioxide, their warming effect is significantly higher, with serious implications for air quality, human health and agricultural sustainability.

The project, funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and implemented by Self Help Africa in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was executed across more than 20 demonstration plots in 15 communities.

He, however, mentioned that despite the achievements, the project revealed several systemic challenges that could hinder long-term sustainability and scale-up, including poor rural access roads affecting logistics and market connectivity, limited infrastructure for manure and crop residue management, inadequate access to farm equipment and affordable financing, and low awareness of no-burn practices and agricultural credit opportunities.

Ogunbiyi stressed that sustainable mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants in agriculture requires enabling infrastructure, effective extension services, inclusive financing and strong institutional coordination.

From a policy standpoint, he said the project underscored the need to mainstream SLCP 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, Mrs Joy Aderele, said the project has demonstrated practical and scalable no-burn alternatives that reduce black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants, while improving soil health, farm productivity, and farmer livelihoods.

She added that the project also strengthened extension systems, built farmer capacity, and generated evidence to inform policy and national action. She called for strategies to sustain and scale burn practices beyond the life of this project.