Agriculture and environmental professionals concluded a four-day training organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with a renewed commitment to addressing the challenges climate change poses to agriculture.
The training, held under the ‘SUSTAIN International’ initiative in Port Harcourt, focused on equipping participants with strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on farming, such as adopting climate-resilient seeds and technologies.
The workshop highlighted the importance of applying newly acquired skills in farm projects across Nigeria to benefit grassroots farmers. Led by experts from IFAD and other international organizations, the training centered on the Social, Environmental, and Climate Assessment Programme (SECAP), which governs all IFAD-supported agricultural projects in the country.
Participants included professionals from IFAD projects such as LIFE-ND, VCDP, and SAPZ, along with representatives from state and federal government agencies, environmental experts, and other stakeholders.
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They were trained to anticipate challenges such as flooding, unseasonal rains, and drought, and to develop solutions, including fabricating technologies to combat these issues. The training also emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement, highlighting power dynamics and the need for updated data to ensure effective project implementation.
Experts proposed forming a SECAP community of practice to foster continuous learning, experience-sharing, and peer support across IFAD programs globally. They also resolved to integrate SECAP standards into their respective projects, ensuring compliance with social, environmental, and climate requirements. Efforts will be made to extend these practices to state-level decision-makers and farmer organizations for widespread adoption.
Facilitator and IFAD consultant Priscilla Achakpa explained the training’s objectives, emphasizing the importance of understanding SECAP’s role in various project components. She noted that the monitoring and evaluation of IFAD projects would be aligned with the SECAP training module.
The initiative, which is part of a global exercise spanning 59 countries in Africa and Oceania, was conducted in two cohorts—policy and decision-makers in one, and professionals handling implementation in the other. The program reflects IFAD’s commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices to combat climate change worldwide.
