COP30: NALDA Seeks to Earn Carbon Credits from Farm Estates

James Emejo in Abuja

National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commenced a strategic drive to generate high-integrity carbon credits from its expanding network of farm estates in a bid to accelerate rural wealth creation and lift thousands of Nigerians into the middle-income economy.

A carbon credit refers to a tradable certificate representing the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent from the atmosphere.

These credits are generated by projects that avoid, reduce, or remove greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy or reforestation efforts, and are bought and sold in carbon markets to offset emissions elsewhere.

Speaking at the COP30 Side Event hosted by NALDA in Belém, Brazil, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive, NALDA, Mr. Cornelius Adebayo, said the authority’s carbon-credit initiative was not only a climate solution but also a socio-economic reform that empowers farmers.

Under NALDA’s Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estates, each farmer is allocated five hectares of farmland, enabling them to earn sustainable agricultural income while also benefiting from a share of carbon credit revenues generated through structured tree-planting and estate-wide reforestation.

Adebayo said the authority was developing large-scale agricultural settlements ranging between 5,000 and 25,000 hectares, stating that its pioneer estates have begun in Ekiti and Kwara with over 1,200, and 1,050 hectares under cultivation.

He said the estates were fully mechanised and equipped with complete infrastructure, such as roads, irrigation systems, processing hubs, housing, and energy systems to function as full agricultural settlements.

He said, “As part of their sustainability framework, each estate will receive comprehensive perimeter fencing, along which NALDA will plant thousands of climate-resilient trees capable of generating significant carbon credits over time.

“This ensures that beyond food production and job creation, farmers within these estates can earn additional income from carbon markets, allowing them to transition from low-income status into the middle-income economy.

“This project will, no doubt, create no fewer than 12,000 direct jobs, 30,000 indirect jobs, and lift over 100,000 thousand lives out of poverty.”

Adebayo said, “Our goal is simple. We want to move Nigerians from a low-income bracket to a true middle-class economy. By combining agricultural productivity with carbon-credit earnings, farmers can become independent, prosperous and globally competitive.

“As global conversations continue on the integrity of carbon markets, finance flows, and climate justice, Nigeria is positioning itself as a country that brings solutions, not problems-collaboration, not complexity.

“We are ready to engage partners in transparent, credible, and community-centred programmes that meet international best practices. Through NALDA, we extend a hand of partnership to organisations committed to genuine, measurable, and verifiable climate action.”

The farm estates are fully mechanised agricultural settlements equipped with roads, irrigation systems, processing hubs, energy systems, and perimeter fencing lined with thousands of climate-resilient trees planted specifically to generate certified carbon removals.

Adebayo highlighted its Plantation Carbon Roadmap, which placed over 20,000 hectares of restored and rehabilitated plantations under globally accepted Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) protocols to ensure transparency and credibility in the voluntary carbon market.

The side event attracted a wide range of participants, including climate negotiators, development partners, private-sector leaders, technical experts, financial institutions, and international observers – all of whom engaged with NALDA’s vision for integrating climate finance with agricultural development.

The NALDA boss said, “NALDA is building a carbon-credit framework that uplifts communities. Every credit earned must translate into improved incomes, restored landscapes, and strengthened food systems. That is the value we bring to global climate action.”

In a statement, the authority further announced that new cooperation agreements were signed at the event to enhance verification capacity, registry alignment, and global collaboration.

Adebayo said, “Complementing this are the Renewed Hope Restoration Projects, which are smaller but equally impactful models designed on a scale of 500 to 2,000 hectares.

“These projects specifically target internally displaced persons, migrants, and refugees, giving them access to land, livelihood opportunities, and a restored sense of stability.

“Here too, NALDA integrates structured tree planting, land rehabilitation, and climate smart Agriculture that allow beneficiaries to generate carbon revenue while rebuilding their lives.

“These restoration farms are designed to deliver hope -tangible hope- to over 15,000 IDPs which are rooted in economic empowerment, environmental recovery, and social inclusion.”

According to him, “NALDA is also developing other Special Plantation Projects dedicated to earning high-integrity carbon credits under its Biodiversity Enhancement Programme. Our flagship projects have begun in Ilero, Oyo state, Omotosho, Ondo state, Ila-Orangun, Osun state where over 2,000, 1,500 and 3,000 hectare plantations are being developed respectively.

“This is in addition to over 6,000 hectares of existing plantation across various parts of the country spanning cocoa, rubber, cashew and oil palm plantation.

“These plantations are strategically located in ecologically sensitive areas where reforestation, enrichment planting, and species protection can deliver dual outcomes: increased carbon sequestration and the preservation of Nigeria’s biological diversity.”