The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) is developing climate-smart farm estates powered by solar energy and electric machinery as part of efforts to reduce farmers’ dependence on rainfall, improve food production and attract carbon credit investments.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Cornelius Adebayo, disclosed this on Tuesday during a session on green industrialisation, critical minerals and energy security at the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye.

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Adebayo said the agency was piloting a farm estate where electric bulldozers would be used for land clearing, while electric tractors and solar-powered irrigation systems would support agricultural production.

According to him, the initiative is designed to establish a fully clean-energy agricultural facility capable of generating carbon credits.

“Our hope as an agency is to earn carbon credits from such farm estates and farm locations,” he said.

He explained that the proposed facility would operate with zero-emission equipment and renewable energy systems, making climate-conscious practices central to every stage of production.

The initiative comes as Nigerian farmers face increasingly unpredictable rainfall, which has disrupted planting seasons and exposed rain-fed agriculture to climate-related risks.

Adebayo said the challenges experienced during the current planting season had reinforced the need for the country to transition towards irrigation-based farming.

The rains were not predicted in Nigeria.

And the farmers, a lot of farmers that don’t do the planting yet were the lucky ones.

The ones that did the planting were quite unlucky this year, he said.

He added that the experience showed the importance of moving away from dependence on rainfall towards climate-smart agricultural practices.

NALDA is also working with investors to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to farmers.

Under the proposed arrangement, farmers would pay for the services based on the number of hectares cultivated, a model intended to make irrigation more accessible to farming communities.

However, the agency acknowledged that electric machinery and clean-energy infrastructure require higher initial investment than conventional equipment.

Adebayo identified the Bank of Industry and other development finance institutions as important partners in addressing the funding challenge through access to capital at lower interest rates.

The authority is also promoting an anchor-based farming model to reduce the financial burden and production risks faced by smallholder farmers.

Under the arrangement, farmers receive land, training, extension services, seeds, fertiliser and other agricultural inputs through an anchor investor.

The investor also provides mechanisation services and purchases the produce after harvest, deducting the cost of the support provided.

Adebayo said the system would allow smallholder farmers to expand production without having to raise all the capital required before cultivation.

He explained that the anchor investor would bear the largest share of the production risk, particularly where crops fail, while agricultural insurance and other risk-sharing institutions would provide additional protection.

The agency is also linking agricultural development to rural security, arguing that farmers operating in organised clusters would be easier to protect than those working on scattered farms.

According to Adebayo, NALDA plans to deploy drones to monitor farm boundaries and identify potential security threats, while the concentration of farmers in organised settlements would make security operations more effective.

The proposed farm settlements are also expected to attract young people by providing housing, solar-powered electricity, clean water and recreational facilities.

Established in 1992 through an Act of Parliament, NALDA was created to support agricultural land development, improve the use of rural land resources, expand food production and generate employment.

The authority was reactivated in 2020 after years of inactivity, with integrated farm estates among its programmes.

In a separate technical presentation at the Nigerian Pavilion during the climate conference, the agency outlined its Green Hope Project, which combines agroforestry, food production and youth participation to address environmental degradation and strengthen food security.

NALDA’s Special Adviser on Projects, Al-Mustapha Ibrahim, said the initiative had mobilised more than 400 volunteers to plant approximately 5,000 trees across five locations in Ogun, Plateau and Kwara states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

The project covers 50 hectares and features food-producing tree species, including mango, avocado and coconut, which are expected to support environmental restoration and provide future income opportunities for farming communities.

The locations include Odogbolu in Ogun State, where 1,000 trees were planted across 10 hectares with the participation of 80 volunteers.

In Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, 500 trees were planted across five hectares with 40 volunteers, while Oke Onigbin in Kwara State recorded 1,500 trees across 20 hectares, involving 120 volunteers.

Another 1,000 trees were planted across five hectares at Iporin, also in Kwara State, with 80 volunteers.

The University of Abuja site accounted for the remaining 1,000 trees across 10 hectares, with another 80 volunteers.

The agency said the trees would provide fruits for household consumption and commercial sale as they mature, while improving vegetation cover, protecting soil, supporting biodiversity and strengthening the resilience of agricultural landscapes to climate pressures.

NALDA also highlighted the importance of fencing and post-planting management to protect the sites and improve the survival of the trees.

The Green Hope Project received support from the Agricultural Research and Training Institute, the National Council on Climate Change and the National Horticultural Research Institute.

The authority said the collaboration demonstrated the role of partnerships among government agencies and technical institutions in addressing agricultural and environmental challenges.

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It added that the involvement of more than 400 volunteers in the first phase was also intended to expose young people to practical environmental conservation and sustainable agricultural activities.