LAGOS – Prof. Charles Anosike, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has said that translation of meteorological data into actionable insights enables farmers to make climate smart decisions with confidence and resilience.
Anosike stated this on Tuesday at a Chief Executive Officers Breakfast Session in Abuja on Tuesday with the theme: ‘Elevating the Role of Data and Information in the National Food Security Conversation.’
The event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG).
According to him, the food system was increasingly threatened by climate change and the effects on food security were significantly acute in developing countries.
Anosike observed that with heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture, it was 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.
Anosike maintained further that NiMet was committed to providing timely data-driven solutions to curbing contemporary climate issues and boosting agricultural productivity.
He said: “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.
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“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.”
Anosike explained that climate change could 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,” he added.
Anosike maintained that meteorological and climatological data were 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.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Audu Grema, the Senior Programme Officer for Agriculture at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, lauded NiMet and recognised the agency’s collaborative endeavours geared towards predictive analysis, providing early warning signals and ensuring industry best practices which are central to development planning.
