The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening weather and climate information services for farmers as part of efforts to build a more productive, resilient and food-secure agricultural sector in Nigeria. This was stated by the Director General/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, at the National Strategic Dialogue on the Preparation of the AGROW Component 2.2 – National Implementation Strategy and Digital Agriculture Architecture.
The dialogue, organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under the World Bank-supported Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain (AGROW) Project, brought together key stakeholders to deliberate on strengthening Nigeria’s digital agriculture ecosystem. The theme of the dialogue was “Building a Unified, Inclusive and Future-Ready Digital Agriculture Ecosystem for a More Productive, Resilient and Food-Secure Nigeria.”
Prof. Anosike noted that climate variability, changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events are increasingly affecting agriculture, making timely and reliable climate information critical to agricultural planning and decision-making. He stated that NiMet provides Seasonal Climate Predictions, regular weather updates, agrometeorological services and impact-based advisories to help farmers make informed decisions on planting, water and input management.
NiMet has partnered with Tomorrow.io and MTN on the Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) System, which delivers location-specific weather advisories to farmers through mobile SMS. Additionally, NiMet has partnered with the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) to strengthen the integration of AI-based weather forecasting with digital advisory systems.
Prof. Anosike emphasized the importance of digital agriculture as a critical pathway for translating climate information into practical, farm-level action. He stressed the need for digital agricultural services to reach farmers through accessible and trusted channels, noting that collaboration with extension services, technology providers, telecommunications companies, community radio and farmer organisations would be essential for effective last-mile delivery.
The NiMet DG/CEO commended the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for his efforts towards promoting climate-smart agriculture. He challenged stakeholders at the dialogue to develop a practical, inclusive and measurable roadmap for integrating weather and climate services into decision-making across the agricultural value chain.
Prof. Anosike expressed optimism that the dialogue would advance climate-smart, digitally enabled and farmer-centred agriculture, while reaffirming NiMet’s readiness to provide the technical leadership needed to strengthen climate services, support food security and build resilient livelihoods in Nigeria. The agency's efforts aim to support the country's agricultural sector and improve food security.
Key points
- NiMet reaffirms commitment to strengthening weather and climate information services for farmers
- The agency partners with Tomorrow.io and MTN on the Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) System
- NiMet aims to support climate-smart, digitally enabled and farmer-centred agriculture in Nigeria
