Nigeria Secures $33 Million Partnership for 10,000 Climate-Smart Greenhouses

ANTALYA, Türkiye — Nigeria has secured a $33 million investment partnership aimed at establishing up to 10,000 climate-smart greenhouse units across the country, beginning with a pilot project in Kano State.

The initiative is designed to help farmers reduce their exposure to climate-related risks, improve agricultural production and strengthen links between smallholder farmers and industrial buyers.

The partnership involves Nigeria's Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme, the Bank of Agriculture and Türkiye-based agricultural technology company Direkçi Group.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31, in Antalya, Türkiye.

Kano Pilot to Begin With 1,000 Greenhouses

The project is expected to begin with a $3 million pilot programme in Kano State, involving approximately 1,000 greenhouse units.

Under the reported financing arrangement, Direkçi Group is expected to provide $1.5 million in foreign direct investment, while the Bank of Agriculture will provide a matching $1.5 million credit facility for participating farmers.

Each greenhouse in the pilot phase is expected to cover around 240 square metres and support the controlled cultivation of crops, particularly tomatoes and peppers.

The Bank of Agriculture is expected to administer loans under a 36-month repayment arrangement, including an initial four-month moratorium intended to give participating farmers time to establish production before repayments begin.

Protecting Farmers From Climate Risks

Nigerian farmers are increasingly affected by unpredictable weather, including flooding, drought, extreme temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.

Traditional open-field farming can leave crops highly exposed to these conditions.

Greenhouse technology allows farmers to manage important growing conditions, including temperature and water supply, more carefully than conventional open-field production.

Supporters of the project believe this could help farmers produce crops more consistently and reduce some of the risks associated with extreme weather.

The partnership is also expected to support technology transfer in areas such as climate control, precision irrigation and modern crop management.

Connecting Farmers With Buyers

One of the most important features of the initiative is its proposed off-take arrangement.

Under the plan, participating farmers would be connected with industrial buyers, including tomato-processing companies and other businesses requiring agricultural produce.

The arrangement is intended to provide agreed standards covering areas such as quality, pricing and delivery.

For farmers, access to reliable buyers could help reduce uncertainty about where their produce will be sold after harvest.

For food processors, the system could provide a more predictable supply of agricultural raw materials.

Direkçi Group is expected to manufacture and install the greenhouse facilities, provide training and support farmers in accessing markets.

The SAPZ programme is expected to provide land, basic infrastructure, seeds and seedlings while helping mobilise farmers and coordinate the project's wider expansion.

Women and Smallholder Farmers Prioritised

Women and smallholder farmers are among the priority beneficiaries identified under the initiative.

Small-scale farmers often face difficulties accessing modern technology, affordable financing and reliable markets.

By combining greenhouse technology with financing and market connections, the partners hope to create a more commercially sustainable model for agricultural production.

The project is also expected to generate employment beyond farming itself.

Potential opportunities could arise in greenhouse construction, transportation, agricultural processing, marketing and other parts of the value chain.

A Planned Nationwide Expansion

Following the Kano pilot, the partners aim to expand the programme towards 10,000 greenhouse units nationwide, with projected investment of about $33 million.

However, the nationwide expansion remains a planned next stage rather than an investment that has already been fully deployed.

The success of the Kano pilot will therefore be important in demonstrating whether the model can operate effectively at a larger scale.

Key issues will include farmer selection, access to finance, technical support, infrastructure and whether the promised market connections work effectively in practice.

For now, the agreement represents a significant effort to introduce more controlled and technology-driven farming into Nigeria's agricultural sector.

If the pilot and subsequent expansion are successfully implemented, the programme could help farmers improve productivity, reduce exposure to climate risks and strengthen Nigeria's supply of important food crops.

The project will now move from agreement to implementation, beginning with the 1,000-unit Kano pilot. Its performance could determine how quickly the broader plan to establish 10,000 climate-smart greenhouses becomes a reality.