Nigeria has signed a $33 million public-private partnership (PPP) agreement to deploy 10,000 climate-resilient greenhouse units across the country in a bid to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing
COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, by the Special Agro-Industrial
Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and Direkçi
Group, a Turkey-based agricultural technology and investment company.
The ceremony was witnessed by Abubakar Kyari, minister of
agriculture and food security; Ibrahim Yumaklı, Turkey’s minister of
agriculture and forestry; and Mehdi Eker, former Turkish minister of
agriculture and rural affairs.
The project will begin with a $3 million pilot involving
1,000 greenhouse units in Kano state before expanding to 10,000 units
nationwide.
Under the agreement, Direkçi Group will provide $1.5 million
in foreign direct investment, matched by a $1.5 million credit facility from
BoA for participating farmers.
A greenhouse is a structure that allows crops to grow under
controlled conditions, helping farmers manage temperature, water supply and
other environmental factors. The technology can reduce exposure to extreme
weather, pests and erratic rainfall.
Each of the 1,000 greenhouses in the Kano pilot will cover
approximately 240 square metres.
Direkçi Group will manufacture and install the facilities,
provide technical training and support farmers in securing buyers, including
tomato processing factories and other industrial off-takers.
Under a 36-month repayment arrangement, BoA will administer
loans, including an initial four-month moratorium, to allow farmers establish
their crops and begin earning before repayments start.
SAPZ will provide land, basic infrastructure, seeds and
seedlings, while mobilising farmers and coordinating the planned nationwide
expansion.
Women and smallholder farmers are among the programme’s
priority beneficiaries.
ADDRESSING CLIMATE THREATS TO AGRICULTURE
The partnership comes as Nigerian farmers face increasing
threats from climate-related events, including flooding, drought, extreme
temperatures and unpredictable rainfall.
These conditions disrupt planting seasons, damage crops and
undermine farmers’ incomes, highlighting the need for agricultural systems that
can withstand changing weather patterns.
The greenhouse initiative is expected to improve the
consistency and quality of tomato and pepper production while reducing some of
the risks associated with conventional farming.
According to the agreement, the project will also support
technology transfer in climate control, precision irrigation and modern crop
management.
A key component of the partnership is the proposed off-take
arrangement, under which industrial buyers will purchase produce from
participating farmers based on agreed quality, pricing and delivery conditions.
The arrangement is expected to provide farmers with more
predictable markets while ensuring processors have a reliable supply of
agricultural produce.
The partners also anticipate job creation across farming,
greenhouse construction, transportation, processing and marketing.
Following the Kano pilot, SAPZ is committed to expanding the
initiative to 10,000 farmers nationwide, representing an estimated $33 million
investment.
The project adopts a government-enabled, private-sector-led
approach, with government providing infrastructure and private partners
supplying investment, technology and market connections.
The initiative is expected to link smallholder farmers to
commercial agricultural value chains while strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to
produce food under changing climate conditions.
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