The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening climate-smart agriculture through the provision of timely weather and climate information.
NiMet made the commitment on Friday at the official launch of the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) Project in Abuja.
The initiative is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and NiMet to improve agricultural productivity, build climate resilience and expand the use of Climate Information Services (CIS) across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.
Speaking at the launch, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, described the project as a significant step towards achieving a more productive, inclusive and climate-resilient agricultural sector.
He said the initiative would integrate climate information into agribusiness solutions through stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, financial institutions, the private sector and farmer organisations.
Ogunbiyi commended NiMet, IFAD, the Gates Foundation and other stakeholders for supporting climate-smart agriculture, urging partners to sustain collaboration to expand agribusiness opportunities, improve farmers’ access to finance and enhance livelihoods.
Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, said the project aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to adapt to climate change through improved access to reliable weather and climate information.
According to him, “Timely, accurate, accessible and actionable weather, climate and water-related information is critical to climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food systems and building resilience across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.”
He noted that farmers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, insurers, processors, logistics providers and investors all depend on reliable climate intelligence to make informed decisions, reduce risks, protect investments and improve productivity.
Anosike stressed the importance of translating climate information into simple, localised and practical advisories that farmers can easily apply while strengthening public-private partnerships to expand access to climate services.
He reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to supporting the project through its Seasonal Climate Prediction, agrometeorological bulletins, impact-based forecasts, early warning advisories and digital climate advisory platforms.
Also speaking, IFAD Country Director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for its leadership and acknowledged NiMet’s technical contributions to the project’s design.
She said the CSAPR Project would promote financially sustainable public-private partnerships that integrate Climate Information Services into agricultural value chains, enabling farmers and agribusinesses to better adapt to climate variability while improving productivity and attracting investment.
Representing the National Programme Coordinator of the SAPZ Programme, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, another official highlighted early gains recorded under the project, including the installation of automated weather stations in Ogun and Kano states, the rollout of climate information dissemination and the distribution of digital devices to leaders of farmer organisations to facilitate timely weather advisory services.
The CSAPR Project is financed by the Gates Foundation and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the SAPZ Programme, with support from IFAD and NiMet.
It is expected to strengthen climate resilience, improve food security and enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through the integration of Climate Information Services into sustainable agribusiness solutions.
