NALDA targets carbon credits to boost rural wealth, unveils plan at COP30

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has announced a major drive to earn high-integrity carbon credits from its network of mega farm estates—an initiative it says will strengthen rural economies and push thousands of Nigerians into the middle-income bracket.

Cornelius Adebayo, executive secretary/CEO NALDA, speaking at a side event at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, said the agency’s carbon-credit strategy is designed to serve both climate and development goals.

According to him, integrating structured tree-planting and estate-level reforestation into the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estates will allow farmers to benefit directly from carbon revenues in addition to their agricultural earnings.

“Our goal is simple. We want to move Nigerians from a low-income bracket to a true middle-class economy,” Adebayo said.

“By combining agricultural productivity with carbon-credit earnings, farmers can become independent, prosperous, and globally competitive.”

Under the programme, each farmer is allocated five hectares within estates ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 hectares.

The settlements are fully mechanised, with internal roads, irrigation systems, processing hubs, energy infrastructure and perimeter fencing lined with thousands of climate-resilient trees grown specifically for certified carbon removal.

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NALDA also outlined its Plantation Carbon Roadmap, which places more than 20,000 hectares of restored plantations under internationally recognised Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) protocols to ensure transparency and credibility in the global voluntary carbon market.

The side event drew climate negotiators, development partners, private-sector actors, financial institutions and international observers, who reviewed NALDA’s model for linking agricultural development with climate finance.

“NALDA is building a carbon-credit framework that uplifts communities,” Adebayo added. “Every credit earned must translate into improved incomes, restored landscapes and strengthened food systems.”

The agency disclosed that it signed new cooperation agreements at the event aimed at boosting verification capacity, aligning registries and expanding global partnerships around carbon-credit generation.

Ruth Tene Natsa

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.