Africa’s low-carbon transition, a pathway to economic growth

Africa stands at a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change. With its abundant resources and youthful population, it has the potential for a leading role in the global green revolution. Africa’s low-carbon transition offers a unique opportunity to embrace sustainable practices that can empower its youth and pave the way for a greener, more inclusive future. While this transition will require concerted efforts from all stakeholders, youths like Femi and Baliqees in the agricultural sector are already contributing to achieving this goal.

Text: Jackson Okata

In 2020, after earning a Master’s degree in Integrated Pest Management from Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom, Femi Adekoya made a pivotal choice: he returned to his home country of Nigeria to put his knowledge into practice. ‘Many of my friends thought I was making a mistake by coming back despite the enticing options I had in the UK,’ he recalls.

Driven by a passion for innovation and a vision to transform Nigerian agriculture through technology, Femi—known as the ‘Flying Farmer’—set out to make a lasting impact. As the Founder and Managing Director of Integrated Aerial Precision, a drone service and data analytics company specialising in agriculture, Femi spearheads the use of drone-powered solutions.

His work ranges from providing services, consultancy, and training to individuals and organisations, all aimed at boosting agricultural productivity. He also serves as the Head of Training at Precision Field Academy, with a mission to cultivate a new generation of tech-savvy farmers and agricultural professionals who will drive Africa’s precision agriculture and help build a resilient, transformed food system.

Through these ventures, he has trained over twenty thousand farmers and young professionals in drone technology, introducing them to the benefits of precision agriculture. Additionally, he has trained 350 drone enthusiasts on piloting drones for various applications. But his contributions go beyond training—he has turned this into a thriving business model.

Through Integrated Aerial Precision Ltd., Femi not only earns a living by empowering farmers with drone-powered precision agriculture solutions, but also creates entrepreneurial opportunities for others in the agricultural sector. By equipping trainees with sought-after skills in drone services, he is fostering entrepreneurship within the agricultural sector, empowering others to provide these services to farmers and earn a livelihood in the process.

Drones for a Greener Future

The technology that drives this entrepreneurship—drones equipped with sensors—plays a critical role in transforming agricultural practices. ‘Drones equipped with sensors gather valuable data on crop health, soil conditions, and water levels, enabling precise application of inputs like fertilisers and pesticides. This approach improves efficiency, reduces waste, and minimises environmental impact,’ he explains.

‘Drones can easily pick up pest invasions at an early stage, enabling swift intervention. This saves on the usage of excessive pesticides or chemical fertilisers, which in turn contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions.’ He highlights that replacing diesel-powered tractors with drones, especially on large-scale farms, cuts emissions and improves efficiency. ‘A drone can apply insecticides over an area in an hour, which would take a tractor the whole day,’ he states.

Drones are also instrumental in monitoring crops, conducting aerial surveys, and identifying disease outbreaks and nutrient deficiencies, all of which allow for timely interventions and minimise the need for chemical treatments. Femi further notes that drones help in soil assessment and can implement targeted soil management practices, improving fertility and promoting carbon sequestration.

‘By enhancing resource efficiency and reducing chemical applications, drones play a key role in lowering the carbon footprint of farming activities,’ he emphasises. This is especially important as climate change exacerbates pest and disease pressures, which are increasingly managed with drone technology.

As Africa progresses towards a low-carbon transition (LCT), many countries are investing heavily in renewable and clean energy sources like solar and wind. The drive for this transition stems from economic and environmental concerns, with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 promoting green growth and sustainability. However, studies have shown that limited infrastructure and financing pose significant challenges for Africa’s green transition.

A study by INCLUDE (in collaboration with IDRC) titled ‘A Green and Just Future for Youth in Africa,’ suggests that the low-carbon transition could create decent jobs and foster economic transformation. It also highlights that Africa will require an estimated 2.5 trillionUSD in climate financing by 2030 to support green infrastructure and energy reliance.

While achieving this green transition and utilising clean energy in Africa might take time, a young farmer in Nigeria is already using green energy in her agricultural venture. Baliqees Salaudeen has turned to solar power to boost food production and provide economic opportunities, particularly for women and youth. She is the co-founder of Green Republic Farms, a youth-led social enterprise in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

‘Relying on rain-fed farming is no longer sustainable. Transitioning to smart farming is essential for protecting agriculture,’ she says. Green Republic Farms, founded in 2019, aims to eliminate poverty and create a hunger-free society through mechanised and climate-smart agricultural practices. With the world’s population growing and food demand rising, Baliqees stresses the importance of adopting climate-smart solutions to secure global food systems in the face of mounting climate threats.

She observes that relying on rain-fed agriculture ‘threatens Africa’s food security situation, and going smart is the surest option.’ In response to climate shocks, Green Republic Farms has invested in greenhouse farming and irrigation systems on its fifteen-acre plot to adapt to the unpredictable rainfall patterns driven by climate change.

Green Republic Farms initially relied on diesel to power their irrigation system, but with fuel prices skyrocketing, they turned to a more sustainable solution: solar energy. ‘With fuel prices reaching N900 per litre, diesel became financially unsustainable. Fortunately, our partner, the HortiNigeria project team, assisted us in converting our borehole into a solar-powered system, which now serves as our irrigation source,’ she says.

Solar Powered Solutions

This shift has enabled them to harvest at least three tonnes of fresh produce each week and create decent jobs for 65 people, including women and youth. ‘Without smart farming technologies, many of these individuals would be jobless and food-insecure,’ she observes. Baliqees argues that renewable and green energy can enhance the adoption of smart and sustainable farming practices. ‘Renewable energy is not just about providing food-related solutions; it also offers opportunities for young people,’ she states.

She highlights the production, sale, and installation of green energy appliances as a potential source of millions of jobs for youth across Africa. However, she notes that low-carbon transition is neither accessible nor affordable for smallholder farmers. ‘Many rural smallholder farmers do not view low carbon transition as an enabler of agriculture,’ Baliqees observes. ‘Green energy appliances are not locally manufactured, making them expensive for smallholder farmers.’

These obstacles small farmers face reflect the broader challenges in achieving a low-carbon transition across Nigeria and the continent. Despite the opportunities youth like Femi and Baliqees explore in agriculture, many sectors struggle with the economic and infrastructural hurdles required to unlock these possibilities.

Aniebiet Obot, a research and policy expert based in Abuja, highlights that a major challenge to Nigeria’s green transition is its heavy reliance on oil revenue. ‘The balance between economic and social realities of transition is a big issue in Nigeria. There is an ongoing debate on whether green energy can replace fossil fuel revenue,’ he explains.

He also points out that policy formulation in Nigeria often excludes women and youth, limiting their access to opportunities within the green economy. ‘To address these issues, Nigerian youths formulated the ’Youth Manifesto on Climate Change,’ which garnered notable endorsements from key government and civil society organisations. However, its successful implementation will require comprehensive action from governments at all levels.’

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is working to fight energy poverty by promoting renewable energy technologies for underserved and off-grid communities. This is according to David Otu, a technical advisor at the agency. He argues that renewable energy is a key leveller in solving the energy poverty problem in Nigeria. ‘We are targeting off-grid communities with sustainable energy solutions such as solar mini-grids and solar home systems, and powering agriculture through solar-powered water pumps for irrigation farming.

‘The Agency is also advancing efforts on mainstreaming Productive Use Equipment (PUE) such as solar-powered refrigerators, oil-palm processing machines as well as electric grain mills, all targeted at agricultural productivity.’ He confirms that REA’s programmes have already benefited over nine million Nigerians, with the agency continuing to focus its renewable energy interventions on last-mile residents, tertiary institutions, farm clusters, markets, and rural households at the base of the pyramid.

REA has also, through the guidance of the Federal Ministry of Power, developed a national electrification plan useful to policymakers, funders, and investors within the renewable energy sector. ‘As REA, we are supporting locally developed energy access solutions through supporting innovation to build green energy solutions,’ he explains.

Shifting gears to South Africa and its efforts towards a just carbon transition—finding the right balance between economic growth and sustainable land use has been a significant barrier in the country’s low-carbon transition. Awande Zwane, the Partnerships and Communications Coordinator at Indalo Inclusive, highlights that incubation, technical training, and financing for green and clean energy enterprises could help push Africa’s LCT agenda forward. Indalo, an organisation that identifies, supports, and promotes eco-inclusive enterprises, plays a crucial role in this transition.

‘We have contributed to the development of a just transition portfolio that seeks to balance people and projects in the green transition, while safeguarding livelihoods in South Africa,’ she says. She explains that one of Indalo’s core missions is to reduce the risk associated with investing in green energy by bridging the gap between funders and innovators. ‘There is often a disconnect between green energy enterprises and potential investors. Our work involves connecting innovators to funders and assuring these investors that their money is secure,’ she adds.

To advance the low-carbon transition effectively, Indalo offers a range of services, including enterprise development support, ecosystem building, policy dialogues, and stakeholder engagement. ‘We focus on providing technical training, financial support, and building a robust ecosystem for startups, which is vital for driving green innovation,’ explains Shamiela Reid, the Senior Projects Coordinator at Indalo Inclusive. Indalo focuses on gender equity, with sixty percent of its entrepreneurship support going to women, and an impressive 83 percent success rate for the innovations they back.

Apart from Nigeria and South Africa, across Africa, the adoption of renewable energy faces several challenges, including insufficient policy support, corruption, affordability issues, and infrastructure deficiencies. One of the continent’s biggest hurdles is energy poverty: over fifty percent of Africa’s population still lacks access to electricity. According to estimates, if Africa stays on its current trajectory, it could take until 2080 to achieve universal access to electricity.

Skies of Opportunity

Despite her vast solar potential—forty percent of the world’s solar energy resources—it only accounts for one percent of the world’s installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. This underutilisation underscores the need for significant investment and policy shifts to harness the continent’s renewable energy potential.

The job creation potential in the renewable energy sector is promising. By 2030, an estimated 2.8 million direct jobs could be created in renewable energy production, supply, operations, and grid connections. In addition, 1.3 million more jobs could emerge from power generation, grid maintenance, and energy efficiency initiatives. These figures are likely to grow beyond 2030, driven by rising energy demand.

By 2050, the clean energy sector could employ up to eight million people. Currently, Nigeria’s distributive renewable energy sector alone employs around 49,600 people, 31 percent of whom work in the informal sector. There is also expected growth in jobs related to energy usage, including occupations like plant and machine operators, electricians, assemblers, and clean-energy auto manufacturing workers.

Obot emphasises that Africa’s renewable energy sector is brimming with potential, but unlocking it requires comprehensive strategies that empower young people, women, and marginalised communities. ‘We must actively equip and position our youth to seize these opportunities. By providing skills, incentives, and policy support, we can harness the full potential of the green economy and drive sustainable development across the continent,’ he explains.

As Femi and Baliqees have demonstrated in their work with precision farming and renewable energy solutions, transitioning to green technologies can revolutionise agriculture and food security, while offering other economic opportunities for Africa’s youth. Yet, this shift will only be effective if governments, private sector players, and local communities collaborate to make low-carbon solutions accessible and scalable.

Africa’s low-carbon transition is not merely an environmental imperative but a pathway to economic growth, job creation, and resilience against climate shocks. With innovative approaches such as drone technology in agriculture, solar-powered irrigation, and targeted investments in renewable energy, Africa has the potential to lead a just, inclusive, and sustainable future. But to achieve this, the continent must act swiftly, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of a greener tomorrow.