Nigeria: COP31 - Nigeria Must Turn Climate Promises Into Food Security

What the report says

A Daily Trust opinion piece published via AllAfrica argues that Nigeria should use COP31, opening in Antalya, Türkiye, to push climate negotiations toward concrete support for food production and rural livelihoods. The article says the country’s farmers and pastoralists are already facing drought, flooding, degraded land, water shortages and rising food costs, and that climate policy should be judged by whether it improves these conditions rather than by declarations alone.

The piece highlights a proposed Turquoise Nexus Initiative, being developed by Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the Food and Agriculture Organization under the FAST Partnership, as an example of the growing link between food systems, water security and climate action. It says Nigeria should arrive at COP31 with clear priorities for climate-resilient agriculture, including irrigation, drought-resistant seeds, flood protection, soil restoration, pasture improvement and livestock health measures.

It also calls for easier access to climate finance, especially for smallholder farmers and pastoral communities, along with investment in water storage, drainage, flood forecasting, research, extension services, storage and transport infrastructure. The article stresses that crop and livestock production should be treated as connected national priorities, not competing interests, because both affect food supply, employment and stability.

The broader point, as framed by the author, is that Nigeria must pair international advocacy with stronger domestic coordination, transparent spending and measurable targets if climate commitments are to translate into better food security.