NALDA Targets Carbon Credits to Boost Farmer Prosperity and Drive Rural Transformation — Adebayo

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has launched a major drive to generate high-quality carbon credits from its growing network of farm estates an effort aimed at accelerating rural wealth creation and moving thousands of Nigerians into the middle-income bracket.

Speaking at NALDA’s COP30 Side Event in Belém, the Executive Secretary/CEO, Engr. Cornelius Adebayo, described the initiative as both a climate-action strategy and a socio-economic tool that strengthens farmers’ livelihoods.

Under the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estates scheme, each participating farmer receives five hectares of land, giving them the opportunity to earn steady agricultural income while also benefiting from carbon-credit proceeds generated through structured tree-planting and large-scale reforestation across the estates.

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

The estates—spanning between 5,000 and 25,000 hectares—operate as fully mechanized agricultural communities, complete with access roads, irrigation, processing facilities, energy systems, and perimeter fencing lined with climate-resilient trees cultivated specifically for certified carbon removals.

During the event, NALDA presented its Plantation Carbon Roadmap, which brings more than 20,000 hectares of restored plantations under internationally recognized Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) standards to ensure full transparency and credibility within the voluntary carbon market.

The side event drew climate negotiators, development partners, private-sector actors, financial institutions, technical experts, and international observers, all of whom explored NALDA’s model for blending agricultural development with climate finance.

“NALDA is building a carbon-credit framework that uplifts communities,” Adebayo emphasized. “Every credit earned must improve incomes, restore landscapes, and strengthen food systems. That is the value we bring to global climate action.”

The agency also confirmed that new cooperation agreements were signed during the event to expand verification capacity, align carbon registries, and deepen international collaboration.