The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project have agreed to collaborate on deploying a digital precision agriculture extension system. The system is tailored for smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria.
This agreement emerged from a meeting held on Tuesday, 29th April 2025, at NiMet’s headquarters in Abuja. At the event, National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Mukhtar Y. Tanko, briefed the Director General Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Professor Charles Anosike, on the objectives of the initiative.
Tanko emphasized that NiMet remains a crucial stakeholder in the development and implementation of this weather-driven innovation. He stated that the partnership aims to enhance the deployment and long-term sustainability of the platform.
According to Tanko, the initiative is part of Sub-Component B2 of the ACReSAL Project, which focuses on empowering households. It aims to help farmers adopt rainfed, climate-smart agriculture practices. He added, “Effective implementation depends on access to weather information that enables better farm planning and improved harvest outcomes.”
Transitioning to specifics, he mentioned the DPAE system would give farmers access to real-time agricultural insights. These would include predictive data, market trends, input recommendations, and localized weather forecasts. The system, he noted, will help reduce risks and enhance productivity.
“This digital tool is a major shift from conventional methods,” Tanko said. “Farmers will be able to make better-informed decisions by accessing precise data tailored to their location and farming needs.”
In response, Professor Charles Anosike welcomed the collaborative proposal. He noted that this was a logical progression in the existing relationship between NiMet and ACReSAL. “You can’t practice precision-smart agriculture without weather and climate information,” he stated.
Professor Anosike stressed the importance of co-developing the platform’s dashboard. He said it must be user-friendly and accessible to farmers, including those with low digital literacy. “We must ensure farmers can interact with the platform easily to get the full benefits,” he added.
The DPAE platform, designed to function in the semi-arid regions of northern Nigeria, is part of the federal government’s strategic response to climate variability. It will function as a centralized digital agriculture hub.
The platform will mobilize several key actors across the agricultural value chain. These include farmers, public extension workers, input suppliers, traders, processors, and providers of mechanization services. Together, these stakeholders will contribute to a more integrated and efficient system.
Furthermore, the ACReSAL Project intends for the digital precision agriculture extension tool to help reduce the knowledge gap faced by rural farmers. Many lack access to tailored advisory services. This system aims to close that gap.
This digital transition will not only address climate-related farming challenges but also help improve food security. Moreover, it will create a framework for informed decision-making at the grassroots level.
To ensure sustainability, NiMet will provide meteorological data and expertise. ACReSAL will manage platform development and ensure that the user interface reflects the real-world needs of Nigerian farmers. Additionally, both partners agreed to train extension workers to serve as intermediaries between the system and the end users.
As the initiative progresses, both agencies aim to monitor its impact closely. Pilot deployments will allow for user feedback and system improvement before full-scale implementation. “This is about building resilience through technology,” Anosike concluded.
This partnership highlights a growing trend in Nigerian agriculture. It reflects an increasing reliance on digital systems and climate data to achieve smarter, more efficient farming practices.
