The Centre for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CCSA) at Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, has partnered with the Standard Bank Group to train young leaders in climate-smart, sustainable farming across Nigeria. The program equips participants with practical skills, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) solutions and strategies to transform agriculture and agribusiness.

CCSA integrated the Standard Bank Group Sustainability Academy training into its ongoing 12-month Fellowship on Climate-Smart and Digital Agriculture, funded by the EU and managed by UNDP under the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Program (NJFP). The program reached over 150 fellows, including staff of CCSA and Cosmopolitan University. Coordinated by Dr. Rislan Kanya, CEO of CCSA, and Dr. Manessah Alagbaoso, Head of Sustainability and Business Ecosystems at Standard Bank Group, South Africa, the training combined virtual lessons, sustainability case studies, and hands-on demonstrations.

The training covered the five core modules of the Sustainability Academy: sustainability, climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, water management and carbon markets. This approach ensured participants gained technical expertise alongside broader insights into sustainable agribusiness practices from World-class organisations like Standard Bank Group

The initiative builds on the ongoing engagement between CCSA and Standard Bank Group, highlighted by a July 2025 visit to CCSA by Dr. Alagbaoso and Andrea Camper, reinforcing the bank’s commitment to supporting climate-smart innovation in Nigeria.

Fellows have pledged to apply their knowledge in communities, cooperatives, and agribusiness ventures, contributing to food security, resource conservation and climate resilience. By combining scientific knowledge, sustainability principles, and ESG solutions, the partnership is cultivating a new generation of agricultural innovators ready to lead Africa’s transition to sustainable farming.

Looking ahead, CCSA has pledged to scale this initiative by enrolling over 2,000 youth in the Sustainability Academy training, currently undergoing digital skills development training at Cosmopolitan University. More than 2000 of these youth are preparing for a six-month internship, focusing on placements across the agricultural value chain. They are part of the World Bank–funded Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project, managed by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), further strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for climate-smart and digitally-driven agriculture.