There are indications that the impact of the climate change on farmers in Nigeria may be minimized going forward. This is because the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have strengthened their partnership to boost agricultural production and mitigate the impact of climate variability on farmers’ livelihoods in the country.The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said this at a press briefing on the 2024 NiMet Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) in Abuja, revealed that the Ministry and NiMet signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 3, 2022, to collaborate in various areas, including the development of a dashboard for early warning systems. Other areas are capacity building for Ministry staff and other stakeholders in accessing and interpreting meteorological information as well as provide agro-meteorological advisory services to farmers on specific agricultural commodities.
He stated that the collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and NiMet underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation in addressing challenges related to agricultural production and food security. The Minister pointed out that the partnership would focus on enhancing data dissemination, capacity-building, and stakeholder engagement to ensure that Nigerian farmers have access to actionable weather and climate information.
Kyari added that the Ministry’s 10 Automatic Weather Stations had been handed over to NiMet to expand its capacity in data and information gathering in the agricultural sector.Kyari pointed out that the SCP would provide valuable information about rainfall patterns, growing seasons, and potential dry spells, assisting farmers in making informed decisions to enhance their adaptive capacity.In his remarks, Director-General, NiMet and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Prof. Charles Anosike, stated that NiMet is committed to reaching out to as many Nigerians as possible with timely and accurate weather and climate information.
Anosike highlighted NiMet’s efforts in disseminating seasonal climate predictions through formal engagements with farmers through various media channels. He also emphasized the need to equip Nigerians, especially farmers, with information and resources to enable them to make climate-resilient decisions.