Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Nigeria’s National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has announced plans to develop climate-smart agricultural estates powered by electric machinery and solar energy as part of efforts to modernise farming, reduce dependence on rainfall and strengthen the country’s food production system.
The initiative will introduce electric bulldozers for land clearing, electric tractors for mechanised farming and solar-powered irrigation systems to support year-round agricultural activities.
NALDA’s Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Cornelius Adebayo, disclosed the plans during a session on green industrialisation, critical minerals and energy security at the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on Tuesday, November 10.
The proposed agricultural estates are also expected to support Nigeria’s participation in carbon credit markets, potentially creating an additional source of financing for sustainable agricultural development.
According to Adebayo, the authority is piloting a farm estate designed to operate with minimal emissions by integrating clean-energy infrastructure and electric agricultural equipment across its operations.
The development represents an effort to connect agricultural modernisation with climate action, particularly as Nigerian farmers face increasing challenges associated with unpredictable rainfall and changing weather patterns.
NALDA Moves to Reduce Dependence on Rainfall
The proposed farm estates are intended to address one of the major challenges facing Nigerian agriculture: the heavy dependence on seasonal rainfall.
Many smallholder farmers in Nigeria rely on predictable rainy seasons to determine when to prepare their land, plant crops and manage agricultural production. However, changing weather conditions have made rainfall patterns increasingly difficult to anticipate, exposing farmers to production losses.
Adebayo said the experience of the current planting season had reinforced the need for Nigeria to move away from an agricultural system that depends predominantly on rainfall.
He explained that some farmers who planted based on expected rainfall encountered difficulties when weather conditions did not follow anticipated patterns.
According to the NALDA chief, irrigation-based farming would provide a more reliable alternative by allowing farmers to control water availability rather than depending entirely on seasonal precipitation.
Under the proposed arrangement, the authority is also working with investors to establish solar-powered irrigation facilities that can serve farmers in different communities.
Farmers would pay for irrigation services according to the number of hectares they cultivate. This payment structure is intended to make the facilities accessible without requiring every farmer to independently finance an entire irrigation system.
The approach could help expand access to water infrastructure, particularly among smallholder farmers who often face financial and technical limitations.
High Equipment Costs Pose a Financing Challenge
Despite the potential benefits of electric tractors and solar-powered irrigation, NALDA has acknowledged that the transition to clean-energy agricultural equipment will require substantial investment.
Adebayo noted that electric machinery and renewable-energy infrastructure generally cost more initially than conventional alternatives.
He identified the Bank of Industry and other development finance institutions as important partners in providing affordable financing to support the initiative.
Access to lower-interest financing could help bridge the investment gap and make it easier to introduce electric machinery across agricultural estates.
The financing question is particularly important because the success of the programme will depend not only on acquiring equipment but also on maintaining it, providing technical support and ensuring that farmers can access the resulting services at affordable rates.
Without sustainable financing arrangements, the higher initial costs could limit the expansion of the initiative beyond its pilot location.
NALDA Introduces Anchor Farming Model to Support Smallholders
Alongside its clean-energy plans, NALDA is promoting an anchor-based farming arrangement designed to reduce the financial pressure on smallholder farmers.
Under the model, an anchor investor provides farmers with access to land, agricultural training, extension services, seeds, fertiliser and other essential production inputs.
The investor also arranges mechanisation services and purchases the farmers’ produce after harvest.
The cost of the services and inputs supplied is subsequently deducted from the value of the harvested produce.
Adebayo explained that the arrangement would reduce the amount of money farmers need to raise before beginning cultivation.
He said the anchor investor would take the larger share of production risks, including losses associated with crop failure, while agricultural insurance and other risk-sharing institutions would provide additional protection.
The model is intended to make agricultural expansion more accessible to farmers who lack sufficient capital to finance land preparation, equipment, inputs and other production requirements.
It could also encourage greater private-sector participation in agriculture by connecting investors with organised farming communities and established production arrangements.
However, its effectiveness will depend on transparent agreements between farmers and investors, fair produce pricing, reliable access to inputs and clear arrangements for sharing agricultural risks.
Drones and Farm Settlements to Address Rural Security
NALDA is also incorporating security considerations into its proposed agricultural estate development.
According to Adebayo, the authority plans to deploy drones to monitor farm boundaries and identify potential security threats around its agricultural locations.
The agency believes organised farming clusters could be easier to protect than scattered farms because security agencies would be able to concentrate their operations around defined agricultural communities.
The proposed farm settlements would also include housing, solar-powered electricity, clean water and recreational facilities.
These facilities are intended to improve living conditions in farming communities and encourage more young Nigerians to consider agriculture as a viable economic opportunity.
The approach reflects an effort to address several challenges simultaneously, including rural infrastructure, agricultural investment, security and youth participation.
For Nigeria, where agricultural development is closely connected to rural employment and livelihoods, creating better living and working conditions could help make farming more attractive to younger generations.
However, the implementation of these plans will require coordination between NALDA, investors, local communities and relevant security agencies.
Green Hope Project Plants 5,000 Trees Across Five Locations
Beyond its electric machinery and irrigation plans, NALDA is also promoting environmental restoration through its Green Hope Project, which combines tree planting, food production and youth participation.
At a separate technical presentation at the Nigerian Pavilion, the authority’s Special Adviser on Projects, Al-Mustapha Ibrahim, disclosed that the initiative had mobilised more than 400 volunteers to plant approximately 5,000 trees across five locations in Nigeria.
The project covers 50 hectares across Ogun, Plateau and Kwara states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The five locations and reported planting activities include:
- Odogbolu, Ogun State: 1,000 trees planted across 10 hectares, involving 80 volunteers.
- Barkin Ladi, Plateau State: 500 trees planted across five hectares, involving 40 volunteers.
- Oke Onigbin, Kwara State: 1,500 trees planted across 20 hectares, involving 120 volunteers.
- Iporin, Kwara State: 1,000 trees planted across five hectares, involving 80 volunteers.
- University of Abuja, FCT: 1,000 trees planted across 10 hectares, involving 80 volunteers.
The trees include mango, avocado and coconut varieties, selected for their potential environmental and agricultural benefits.
Beyond improving vegetation cover, the fruit-bearing trees are expected to provide food for households and create additional income opportunities for farming communities when they mature.
NALDA said the initiative was designed to integrate environmental restoration into agricultural production rather than treat tree planting as an independent environmental activity.
The project is also expected to support soil protection, biodiversity and the resilience of agricultural landscapes against climate-related pressures.
The agency has incorporated perimeter fencing to protect the planted areas, recognising that maintaining and protecting young trees is essential to achieving the project’s long-term objectives.
The initiative received support from the Agricultural Research and Training Institute, the National Council on Climate Change and the National Horticultural Research Institute.
What the Plans Mean for Nigeria’s Food Security
NALDA’s proposed transition towards electric machinery, solar-powered irrigation and organised farming estates comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking ways to strengthen domestic food production and improve agricultural resilience.
Reducing dependence on rainfall could help farmers maintain more predictable production cycles, while mechanisation could improve the efficiency of land preparation and other farming operations.
Solar irrigation could also reduce dependence on conventional fuel-powered systems, although its long-term affordability will depend on installation costs, maintenance and access to financing.
The proposed anchor farming arrangement could further help smallholder farmers overcome some of the financial barriers associated with agricultural expansion.
If successfully implemented, these measures could contribute to more reliable food production, rural employment and investment in agricultural value chains.
The carbon credit component could also create opportunities for additional climate financing. Carbon credits generally represent verified reductions or removals of greenhouse gas emissions and can be traded under recognised carbon market frameworks.
However, generating credible carbon credits requires proper measurement, independent verification and monitoring. NALDA will therefore need to demonstrate that the environmental benefits of its proposed agricultural estates meet the applicable standards.
The initiative’s success will ultimately depend on implementation, access to finance, effective partnerships and the ability to deliver measurable benefits to farmers.
What Happens Next?
NALDA is currently pursuing its climate-smart agricultural estate model through a pilot location, while working with investors to extend solar-powered irrigation services to farming communities.
The authority is also seeking financial partnerships with the Bank of Industry and other development finance institutions to address the higher initial costs of clean-energy agricultural equipment.
Its additional plans include expanding organised farming arrangements, deploying drones for farm monitoring and improving infrastructure within agricultural settlements.
The immediate priority will be translating these proposals into functioning facilities that farmers can access and afford.
The extent to which the initiative improves agricultural productivity, reduces production risks and generates carbon credit revenue will become clearer as implementation progresses.
For Nigeria, the broader challenge is ensuring that agricultural modernisation reaches smallholder farmers, who remain central to the country’s food production system.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
1. PUNCH – Damilola Aina, NALDA plans electric tractors, solar irrigation for farms, November 11, 2026.
