You’ve probably heard about carbon credits – the idea that companies can pay for emissions reductions somewhere else to offset what they emit (usually in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO₂e).

Now, just as we’re beginning to understand how carbon credits work and thinking about how we in Africa can position ourselves to benefit from them, there’s something new on the horizon: nature credits.

Nature credits go beyond carbon. They’re a way of putting real, measurable value on actions that restore and protect biodiversity – whether that’s through reforesting degraded land, restoring wetlands, practicing agroecology, or shifting to regenerative agriculture. The goal is to reward individuals, communities, and institutions that take action to heal ecosystems.

The European Union (EU) has already launched a Nature Credits Roadmap, with plans for pilot implementation by 2027. The aim is to attract private sector finance to fund nature-positive actions, helping to close an estimated €37 billion annual biodiversity financing gap across Europe alone.

What does this mean for us in Africa – and particularly Nigeria?

Africa holds about one-third of the world’s biodiversity. Nigeria’s rich ecosystems – from the Guinean rainforests to the Niger Delta mangroves and the Sahelian savannas – are globally significant. These landscapes are increasingly under threat, but they are also full of potential for nature-based solutions (NbS).

If we don’t act quickly, others will define the standards, own the certification platforms, and take the lion’s share of the benefits. We’ve seen this pattern before with voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) and compliance carbon markets. This time, we need to be better prepared.

So what can be done?

• Federal and state governments need to put in place policies, legal frameworks, and market institutions (such as registries and verification bodies) that enable equitable participation in nature credit markets.
• Universities and research institutions should begin working on African-led methodologies for measuring and verifying biodiversity outcomes – integrating local knowledge with global science.
• Civil society organizations (CSOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) should document and scale up nature-positive practices like community forest management, agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration.
• Young entrepreneurs and innovators should explore tools for digital monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, including blockchain and geospatial technologies.
• Individuals and local leaders can start asking: How is our community restoring nature? Could this become a source of income, resilience, or recognition?

Nature credits are coming. The real question is: will Africa once again be just a supplier of raw biodiversity, or will we lead the conversation, set the standards, and benefit meaningfully?

The opportunity is ours – but only if we prepare for it now.