Tunde Bakare
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike has said that translation of meteorological data into actionable insights enables farmers to make climate smart decisions with confidence and resilience.
Anosike was speaking at a Chief Executive Officers breakfast session on Tuesday, 16th October 2024 at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, themed ‘Elevating the Role of Data and Information in the National Food Security Conversation’, organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG).
He said that the food system is increasingly threatened by climate change and the effects on food security are significantly acute in developing countries. Prof. Anosike observed that with heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture, it is essential to empower farmers with weather and climate information to enable them to mitigate and adapt to the vagaries and complexities of climate change with confidence and make them resilient by making informed decisions.
The DG, further said that NiMet is committed to providing timely data-driven solutions to curbing contemporary climate issues and boosting agricultural productivity.
“In recent times, we have seen the effect of climate change in Africa and across the world. The global climate system is very complex and cannot be controlled or managed by one institution or country. To be able to influence that system, we have to understand how the system behaves and that is where meteorology comes in. Meteorology brings climate science and data in support of climate disaster and climate change adaption”.
He noted that climate change can impact soil fertility, and spread plant pest and diseases. He highlighted the integral role of meteorological and climatological data as a crucial element of national food systems data and information tools. “Climate data are used for the production of various types of forecast, from seasonal to sub-seasonal and short-range forecasts that impact agricultural production system through the value chain. Using such data to predict critical components of the seasonal prediction are critical to agriculture such as the onset of the season, projected end of the season, amount of rainfall for the season, length of the season, and the predicted dry spell”.
Anosike concluded that meteorological and climatological data are integral components of national food systems data information tools due to their significant impact on agricultural productivity, risk assessment for food security initiatives, supply chain management, and research development efforts.
“The integration of these datasets enables stakeholders at all levels from farmers to policy makers to make informed decisions that enhance resilience against climate variability while promoting sustainable agricultural practices”, Prof. Anosike concluded.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Programme Officer for Agriculture at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Audu Grema applauded NiMet and recognized the agency’s collaborative endeavours geared towards predictive analysis, providing early warning signals and ensuring industry best practices which are central to development planning.
