Climate Change Threatens Nigeria’s Food Systems – Minister Uche Nnaji

Chief Uche Nnaji, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, has warned that climate change is severely impacting Nigeria’s food systems, threatening food security and economic stability.

Speaking at the Commonwealth discussion on food security and climate financing in London, UK, Nnaji highlighted the urgent need for innovation and climate resilience strategies.

According to a statement from the Minister’s media office, Nnaji detailed several climate-related issues affecting Nigeria’s food production:

• Rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns are reducing agricultural yields and disrupting food supply chains.
• 351,000 hectares of land are lost annually to desertification, with eleven northern states severely affected.
• Annual floods destroy over 100,000 hectares of farmland, displacing millions and reducing food availability.
• Over 40% of Nigeria’s inland water bodies are at risk due to pollution and climate change, leading to declining fish stocks.
• Lake Chad has shrunk by over 90% since the 1960s, drastically affecting irrigation and livestock in the Northeast.
• 95% of Nigerian farmers rely on unpredictable rainfall, making them highly vulnerable to droughts.
• Nigeria spends over $10 billion annually on food imports, despite its agricultural potential.
• Over 70% of Nigerians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, yet only 15% of rural communities have access to electricity, leading to over 50% in food losses due to poor storage and processing infrastructure.

To address these challenges, Nnaji outlined Nigeria’s approach, emphasizing the role of science, technology, and innovation in building climate resilience:

• National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (2022): Serves as a blueprint for securing food production, energy access, and environmental sustainability.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Nigeria is advancing food security through Tela Maize and climate-adaptive cotton, which are drought-resistant, pest-resistant, and more productive.
• Digital Agriculture & Smart Farming: AI-driven precision farming, automated irrigation, and remote sensing technologies help smallholder farmers predict weather patterns, optimize inputs, and minimize losses.
• Clean Cooking Initiative: Nigeria is promoting Low Pressurized Compressed Natural Gas (LPCNG) cylinders to reduce reliance on deforestation-driven biomass fuels.
• Sustainable Climate Financing: Nigeria aims to scale up these solutions through Green Bonds, Climate Resilience Funds, and Public-Private Partnerships, with support from the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.

Minister Nnaji proposed the establishment of a Commonwealth Center for Climate-Smart Agriculture, which would:

• Facilitate knowledge exchange
• Transfer technology
• Scale innovation-driven food security initiatives

He also emphasized the need for equitable and simplified climate finance mechanisms to help developing nations secure funding for large-scale adaptation projects.

With these strategies, Nigeria aims to enhance food security, reduce climate vulnerabilities, and transition towards a more sustainable agricultural future.