COP31: Nigeria signs $3m deal for climate-smart greenhouse project in Kano

Detailed summary

Nigeria has signed a $3 million agreement for a climate-smart greenhouse project in Kano State, using COP31 to pitch agriculture ...

Nigeria has signed a $3 million agreement for a climate-smart greenhouse project in Kano State, using COP31 to pitch agriculture as an investment opportunity.

The memorandum of understanding was signed Wednesday on the sidelines of the COP 31 summit in Türkiye. It was witnessed by Abubakar Kyari, minister of Agriculture and Food Security,

The pilot will deploy about 1,000 climate-adapted greenhouses for tomato production under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme.

The Bank of Agriculture will provide $1.5 million to create a structured financing mechanism for participating farmers.

Turkish firm Direkci Group will contribute another $1.5 million in private-sector financing, alongside greenhouse technology, engineering, installation and technical support.

Kyari said the deal was a practical step toward modernising production and attracting private capital.

“The President has given us that marching order and has demanded since he declared an emergency on food, that we must build an agricultural sector that is modern, productive, commercially viable, and capable of creating wealth for our people.”

He said the project would prioritise women and smallholder farmers through access to productive assets, financing, technical mentorship and market linkages.

The partners agreed to a joint performance review after nine months, with a possible commercial expansion involving greenhouse systems and equipment valued at a minimum of $30 million, subject to agreed acquisitions and performance milestones.

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