The Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) has unveiled plans to establish framework to attract climate finance for smallholder farmers.The Chairman of PICTT Dr Dahiru Mohamed disclosed this at a Taxonomy Validation Workshop on Adaptation and Resilience Solutions organised by PICTT in collaboration with YAPU Solutions.

He said experts are also calling for digital accountability and stronger financial systems to address the effects of climate change on agriculture adding that the aim of the framework was to improve access to financing for farmers affected by drought, flooding and other climate-related challenges.

Muhammed said the workshop was designed to develop an implementation framework for Nigeria’s national taxonomy, which defines activities eligible for climate finance.He explained that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) were working on the national taxonomy, while PICTT and its partners were focusing on making the framework operational and accessible to rural communities.

“Having a national taxonomy is good, but without defining which activity qualifies as adaptive or resilient to climate change, there is no way you can access the financing,” he said. He said governments at the federal, state and local levels must work together to address climate-related challenges, particularly flooding, through improved infrastructure and effective mitigation measures.

On PICTT’s achievements, he highlighted its work in technology transfer, agricultural development and helping entrepreneurs transform research into commercially viable products.Country Representative of WorldFish in Nigeria, Dr Charles Nyangbe, said Nigeria needed financial instruments tailored to the different climate challenges confronting farmers across the country.

He noted that northern Nigeria faced drought, while southern communities experienced flooding and waterlogging, requiring different adaptation strategies and financing arrangements.

Nyangbe said the proposed taxonomy would help financial institutions develop sustainable lending mechanisms for farmers, stressing that climate finance differed from conventional government budgetary allocations.He advocated instruments such as index-based insurance and blended finance to help farmers manage climate-related risks.

He also urged the government to channel climate funds through commercial banks and other financial institutions, using public funds as guarantees to encourage lending to farmers.

“Government should come up with an envelope of funding that is targeted at climate financing, give it to financial institutions, give it to commercial banks so that they can lend,” he said.

Nyangbe said Nigeria had attracted about $2.5bn for climate-related financing, but the amount remained significantly below estimated requirements.He further called for greater attention to livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, arguing that climate financing discussions often focused excessively on crop commodities.

He noted that flooding could destroy fish ponds and aquaculture facilities, causing substantial losses for farmers.Managing Director of YAPU Solutions, Christoph Junghleisch, estimated that climate adaptation presented an investment opportunity of up to $30bn annually for smallholder farmers.

He said the organisation was working with PICTT to establish a framework connecting climate adaptation solutions with appropriate financing.Junghleisch said initial plans could involve a pilot project worth between $100m and $200m, with the ambition of scaling up financing to $1bn in the first expansion phase.

However, he clarified that these figures represented targets rather than confirmed funding commitments. He identified digital technology as central to ensuring transparency and accountability, explaining that the proposed system would digitally document funds reaching smallholder farmers and make transactions auditable.

“What we are focusing on is smart use of technology, optimisation of processes that enable you to document each and every cent, Naira, that you are basically bringing to the smallholder farmers,” he said.

Junghleisch added that YAPU was engaging development finance partners, including the Bank of Agriculture and the African Development Fund, while seeking to attract private-sector investment.

He stressed that government support through appropriate policies, legislation and regulations would be essential, although public funding alone could not meet the scale of investment required. The workshop brought together financial institutions, agricultural experts and other stakeholders to validate the taxonomy, identify suitable financing instruments and develop an implementation timeline.

The organisers said the framework would help direct climate finance towards vulnerable farming communities, strengthen agricultural resilience and protect livelihoods, although the proposed investment targets remain prospective.