In an effort to lessen the effects of climate change, the federal government has obtained funding totaling $198,175 from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to encourage farmers to reduce their use of open-field burning.
The goal of the 18-month project, which will be carried out in Benue state’s Gboko Local Government Area, is to educate farmers about the risks associated with open field burning and the sustainable uses for agricultural residuals.
At a workshop yesterday in Nasarawa on the execution of Nigeria Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP), Permanent Secretary Temitope Fashedemi of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture stated that the project’s goal is to lower short-lived carbon emissions from agricultural waste.
It also aims to improve farmers’ ability to adapt by substituting clean alternatives, such as conservation agriculture and briquette production, for open-field burning of agricultural waste.
Recalling that Nigeria is one of the few nations that emphasize its commitment to reducing SLCP as part of its attempt to mitigate the effect of climate change, the permanent secretary was represented by Osadiya Olanipekun, the director of lands and climate change.
He stated that secondary light-colored particulates (SLCPs) are dangerous air pollutants that have a significant influence on human health, agriculture, and ecosystems. He mentioned that SLCPs are the second biggest contributor to global warming after greenhouse gases.
According to Fashedemi, open burning in agriculture is the deliberate lighting of fire to fields or agricultural residues for a variety of reasons, such as clearing land, managing crop residues, managing pests, or getting fields ready for planting.
He said that the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CACC) had granted the ministry approval for the SLCP agricultural project. He disclosed that the initiative would be carried out in Gboko, Benue state, with a focus on 350 extension officials and 500 farmers, together with important figures from other states and LGAs.
