The UK government has introduced a £95 million climate programme in Nigeria called Propcom+ to support sustainable agriculture and forestry
The UK’s £95 million Propcom+ climate programme in Nigeria aims to address environmental, social, and economic challenges in Nigeria’s food and land-use system.
The initiative is led by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly — and the programme is particularly important as up to 20% of African heritage sites are threatened by climate change.
20% of African heritage sites are threatened by climate change
As well as, that climate change has been reported to impact health, showcasing the urgent need for this programme.
A £55 million climate programme in Nigeria
Through a £55 million contract and £2.89 million grant, the initiative will focus on supporting climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry to benefit both people and nature.
The program targets more than 4 million individuals, with a particular emphasis on empowering women, to adopt and scale sustainable agricultural practices that enhance productivity, climate resilience, and ecosystem preservation.
The UK’s commitment to supporting African agriculture
Propcom+ builds on the success of the Propcom Mai-karri programme, which concluded in March 2022, positively impacting over 1.25 million people in Northern Nigeria through improved market reforms and policies.
The UK government’s support will also be crucial in unlocking $210 million of financing from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) for part of financing from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) for participating Nigerian states under the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.
This additional funding will help develop critical infrastructure and related activities, contributing to Nigeria’s agricultural growth and climate resilience.
Climate change implementation and approach
The Palladium Group is responsible for implementing the Propcom+ programme, which commenced in May 2023.
It initially focuses on five states—Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Edo, and Cross River—delivering climate-smart agricultural interventions to assist vulnerable communities. The program addresses deforestation issues in Southern Nigerian states and promotes sustainable land-use management.
Aditya V. Ode, Propcom+’s Political Director and Country Representative, explained that the program follows a market facilitator approach, implementing interventions through three interlinked pillars.
Pillar one focuses on scaling up proven climate-smart agricultural practices for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs using a market-systems method.
Pillar two aims to develop and expand new business models that improve productivity, climate resilience, emission reduction, and nutrition outcomes. Pillar three seeks to support an enabling policy environment for sustainable food and land-use systems.
UK’s Propcom+: Empowering Nigeria’s agriculture
The UK government’s launch of the Propcom+ climate programme underscores its commitment to collaborate with Nigeria’s government in strengthening the agricultural sector.
This initiative provides vital support to empower vulnerable communities, build resilience, and adapt to the challenges of climate change.
Propcom+ aims to create a sustainable and climate-resilient future for Nigeria’s rural economy through targeted interventions and strategic partnerships.
