The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) is set to boost the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities through its partnerships with universities. According to Prof. Charles Anosike, Director General of NiMet, the agency’s collaborations with tertiary institutions will provide valuable weather and climate data to support local farmers and other stakeholders.
NiMet recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taraba State University, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to promote meteorology and climate change awareness in Nigeria. The partnership aims to enhance the capacity of both parties to deliver products and services related to meteorology and climate change.
Prof. Anosike emphasised that the partnerships will enrich the accuracy of NiMet’s weather forecasts, ultimately benefiting local farmers and other users. “NiMet’s network of university partners is increasing. This adds to the weather and climate data available to us, in addition to the data being generated by our agency-owned weather stations,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of Taraba State University, Prof. Sunday Paul Bako, welcomed the partnership, stating that it will enable the institution to meet the needs of its community and the larger agrarian society. He noted that the university’s agricultural faculty will benefit from the partnership, particularly in raising awareness on sustainable farming and climate-smart practices.