The United Kingdom has announced a new package of support to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more climate resilient.
Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, speaking in Lagos Tuesday, announced a £10 million UK-backed facility in Nigeria, in partnership with finance company InfraCredit that will unlock funding for sustainable and climate-friendly infrastructure development projects – such as providing renewable energy services to homes in urban areas, as well as green housing.
Daily Trust reports that more than two-thirds of Nigeria’s population depends on agriculture for employment.
This new funding will help boost the Nigerian agricultural sector’s productivity and resilience to the impacts of climate change, transforming the country’s critical agriculture and food systems for the benefit of people, climate and nature.
The UK support will help to develop heat and flood-tolerant crops and increase soil fertility.
It comes on the second leg of the Foreign Secretary’s three-country visit to Africa, where he is prioritising future-focused, mutually beneficial relationships.
But today (Wednesday), in Abuja he will announce a £55 million Propcom+ contract, a UK International Climate Finance programme that aims to support the transformation of Nigeria’s rural economy and a £2.89 million grant, which will support more than four million people across Nigeria to adopt and scale up sustainable agricultural practices.
Dailytrust