Nigeria carbon economy could unlock billions and create jobs with AI and agriculture, says Carbon AI CEO

nairametrics.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

Debola Ibiyode, CEO of Carbon AI, said on TVC's Wake Up Nigeria that Nigeria could unlock billions in economic opportunities and create thousands of jobs by embracing the carbon economy and using artificial intelligence. She noted the global carbon market is a rapidly expanding sector that can drive industrial growth and export earnings beyond fossil fuels. Ibiyode highlighted agriculture as a key beneficiary, where crops and waste can be converted into renewable energy like ethanol, creating new value chains and rural employment. She cited the Lagos State Carbon Credit Registry and President Tinubu's approval of a carbon market framework expected to generate $3 billion annually by 2030 as signs of growing policy interest. She cautioned against 'AI washing' and stressed that AI should augment human work, not replace it. The article also notes that Nigeria must build indigenous solutions rather than just consume foreign technologies to fully participate in global carbon trading and climate finance.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting piece but it leans heavily on promises. The $3 billion by 2030 figure from the government framework is a big number with no breakdown on how it gets there. Would like to see sector by sector projections.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The CEO mentions agriculture waste to ethanol but that requires processing infrastructure that barely exists in Nigeria right now. The job creation claim needs more detail on what kind of jobs and where.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Also missing is grid readiness. If you're building carbon projects that generate power or need power for processing, Nigeria's grid reliability is a real bottleneck. Interconnection timelines matter more than credit prices here.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The Lagos State Carbon Credit Registry is a positive step though. Subnational action can move faster than federal. But the article doesn't say how many credits have actually been issued or traded there yet.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The policy framework from Tinubu is good on paper but implementation is everything. Carbon markets need clear MRV standards and legal certainty for buyers. Without that, the billions stay theoretical.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

One sector they barely mention is industrial efficiency and building retrofits. That's low hanging fruit for emissions reduction and jobs in Nigeria. But it's less flashy than AI and carbon credits so it gets overlooked.