Nigerian Govt Deploys Agrometeorological Information Services to Tackle Food Insecurity

The Federal Government has said it will deploy agrometeorological information services to tackle food insecurity in the country.
The Director-General/CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Mansur Matazu, disclosed this in his keynote address at a one-day workshop on “Developing a feedback framework for Climate Information Service Delivery in Nigeria” in Lagos.
Themed “Strengthening Climate Information Service Delivery for a Resilient Food System in Nigeria”, the workshop was organised by the Human Resource Development Agenda (HEDA).
The DG stated that the current food system is rife with inequalities and issues that prevent adequate food security for all, adding that the Federal Government’s position on developing the agricultural sector for Sustainable Green Economy was still valid.
Matazu, who is also the Permanent Representative of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) noted that the government is focusing on a food system development agenda that will lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade.
According to him, the government aims to prioritise healthy diets and affordable nutrition through inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable agriculture, which would contribute to job creations and sustainable economic growth.
Speaking on the prospects of agrometeorological services, he said “Agrometeorological services are enormous across the value chain from land preparation through harvesting to marketing and storage with the support of key players such as farmers, extension officers, input providers, banks, insurance companies, transporters etc.”
Also, Matazu said NiMet has been at the forefront of providing early warning services, adding that the various weather and climate information generated by the agency are available for clients and stakeholders across the socio-economic sectors of the country.
He highlighted NiMet’s services to include Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) that contains information on the onset and cessation dates of the cropping season, length of the growing period, rainfall amount and the temperature forecasts for the hot season (January to April), among others.

Agro Nigeria