Tourba set to expand carbon-farming in Benue

From  Gabriel Agbo, Makurdi 

Tourba, a carbon farming initiative of Innovx, is set to expand its programmes to all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State.

This followed a successful pilot scheme in two local Government Areas of Tarka and Gboko.

The Country Manager of the company, Opeoluwa Filani, who disclosed this, said the move was aimed at  boost farmers' income, improve soil health, and promote climate-smart agriculture across the state.

He spoke during a stakeholders’ session with government officials, community leaders, and participating farmers in Makurdi, Wednesday.

Opeoluwa Filan who highlighted the programme’s success towards promoting conservation agriculture, carbon sequestration, and climate resilience,  commended local partners for their support and the smooth implementation of the pilot project.

“At Tourba, we contract, train, and support farmers to adopt minimum tillage, crop-residue management, and other sustainable practices,” 

 “We then certify the resulting carbon credits and manage their sale to provide an additional income stream for farmers. This approach strengthens soil resilience, stabilizes yields, lowers operating costs, and saves time, ultimately boosting productivity and long-term sustainability.”

"Tourba has contracted over 35,000 farmers across Nigeria who have now adopted regenerative practices such as minimum tillage, crop-residue management, and mixed cropping. These techniques improve productivity while increasing carbon capture in soil and plant biomass.

"Benue State forms part of a wider collaboration with six other states of Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Nasarawa, and Oyo, aimed at scaling carbon-farming practices nationwide", he said.

Speaking at the event which held on Wednesday, Nande Ikpah of the Department of Agriculture, Tarka Local Government Council welcomed the expansion, urging farmers to take advantage of the opportunity provided by TOURBA.

The Acting Director-General of the Benue State Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanization (BADM), Mrs. Dooshima Barbara Zaki, described Tourba’s commitment as “a pivotal step towards making carbon farming a key driver of sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods in Benue State.”

With this expansion, Tourba is positioning carbon farming as a cornerstone of climate-smart agriculture, improved farmer incomes, and long-term environmental sustainability across Nigeria.