BY Guest Writer
BY AISHA HADEJIA
Between May and October 2022, flooding in Nigeria displaced over 1.4 million people. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the floods resulted in the tragic loss of over 603 lives, with an additional 2,400 people injured. The impact of the floods stretched beyond human casualties; 82,035 buildings were damaged, and 332,327 hectares of land were ruined. These severe floods also resulted in an estimated N700 billion loss of agricultural investments, signalling the overwhelming crisis in Nigeria’s food and nutrition landscape, affecting the livelihoods of millions.
Presently, Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of irregular and increasingly harsh weather patterns that disrupt the typical agricultural cycle. Unpredictable rains, extended droughts, and severe floods have become increasingly common, posing a danger to crop output and the well-being of farming communities. This has resulted in a never-ending cycle of crop failures and food insecurity. Farmers are left in a precarious position as they figure out when to sow, irrigate, fertilize, and harvest their crops. These challenges affect not only crops but also livestock productivity, disrupting the nation’s food supply chain and increasing the cost of food.
This reality begs the question: How is it that a country renowned for having the best meteorological agency in Africa is facing these challenges?
The Sahel Food Systems Changemakers Conference convened by Sahel Consulting on October 12, 2023, in Abuja shed light on this situation. The director general and CEO of NiMET, Mansur Matazu, and Dr Sanjo Faniran, UN Food Systems convenor, discussed these issues extensively in a session facilitated by Oge Funlola Modie, chairperson of Wellspring of Life International and Board Member of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Limited.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) is among the oldest public institutions in the country. It has the critical responsibility of providing meteorological information to the government and citizens through forecasts and warnings for prompt early action by actors and the socio-economic impact of weather and climate changes across different government sectors.
The importance of agro-meteorology to sustained agricultural productivity and public safety cannot be overemphasized. Incorporating climate advisory into farming has proven to increase yield by approximately 30% and reduce risk. Indeed, a key factor in the mitigation of climate change-induced disasters is early warning advisory to smallholder farmers- and here lies the challenge for Nigeria. NiMET generates and analyses frequent weather and climate data and has developed numerous products for real-time weather and climate services to farmers, herders, and fishermen to promote sustainable agricultural development, increase productivity, and contribute to food security in Nigeria.
However, last-mile information dissemination to small and medium-scale food entrepreneurs and rural smallholder food producers who need it the most is grossly inadequate. Low literacy rates and even lower internet usage in rural communities compared with urban areas limit farmers’ access to these essential products. Although donor-funded programs that support the integration of weather and climate early warning advisory into smallholder farming operations exist, these are not at scale and are limited to project focus areas and priority value chains.
In addition, the agri-extension package in Nigeria does not include weather and climate advisories. Coupled with the crippling shortage of extension agents in Nigeria, this creates a hopeless situation where smallholder farmers in hard-to-reach areas have no chance of getting this critical information.
Some recommendations are included below:
Actors such as Nigeria Economic Summitt Group (NESG) and AGRA- Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Ecosystems must collaborate with NiMET to advocate for the approval of this essential framework.
The challenges facing the Nigerian food and agriculture sector due to climate change are undeniable. To ensure food security, maintain economic stability, and uplift millions of livelihoods, Nigeria must embrace modern weather early warning systems at all levels.
With a dedicated approach and investments in these systems, the nation can provide farmers with the tools and information they need to navigate the uncertain climate future, securing a brighter agricultural landscape for all.
Hadejia is an Associate Partner at Sahel Consulting and is a prominent advocate for gender equality and inclusion within the agricultural sector.
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