The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) announced collaboration. This aims to bolster agricultural productivity in Nigeria, as discussed at a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at NIRSAL Plc’s headquarters.
NiMet’s Director General, Professor Charles Anosike, and NIRSAL’s Managing Director, Abbas Umar Masanawa, OON, spearheaded the discussion. Professor Anosike emphasized the urgency of climate action and the necessity for collaboration to protect smallholder farmers.
He highlighted the importance of NiMet’s data in aiding farmers’ planning and stressed the need for data-driven farming operations. Professor Anosike underscored that climate change significantly impacts agricultural activities and yields, necessitating a risk-mitigation approach.
Masanawa welcomed NiMet’s initiative and expressed NIRSAL’s interest in collaborating to support smallholder farmers. He emphasized the focus on increasing primary production to benefit vulnerable farmers.
Masanawa emphasized the significance of NiMet’s localized weather and climate data dissemination in various Nigerian languages for broader accessibility. He announced the formation of a technical committee comprising experts from both organizations to expedite operationalization in areas like training, data sharing, and weather station setup.
