Releaf Earth, a climate and agriculture tech company, has issued Nigeria’s first industrial-scale carbon removal credits, signaling a new era for Africa in the global climate economy.
The inaugural tranche of 190 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) was purchased by global firms including Salesforce through Milkywire, a platform supporting high-impact climate action. The credits come from Releaf’s biochar facility in Iwuru, Cross River State, which converts agricultural waste into biochar—permanently sequestering carbon while improving soil fertility and crop yields for smallholder farmers.
Unlike traditional forestry offsets, Releaf’s biochar-based credits are chemically stable and resistant to decay, providing a “physics-based” guarantee of permanence. The credits are issued via the Rainbow Standard registry, meeting top international standards for verifiable, high-durability carbon removals.
Using its SITE geospatial tool, Releaf Earth can trace every ton of carbon from farm to soil, ensuring transparency and industrial-scale integrity. This positions Nigeria to tap into the rapidly growing global carbon market, projected to become a trillion-dollar sector.
CEO Ikenna Nzewi said, “This is a landmark moment for Nigeria and Africa. We are sending a clear signal that Africa is ready to lead in climate action, removing carbon cost-effectively while boosting local agriculture.”
Releaf Earth’s model—termed the “Circular Wealth Engine”—returns biochar to farmland, increasing yields by up to 23% and potentially raising smallholder incomes by over 50%, while generating revenue from previously wasted biomass.
