BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Federal Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has launched the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) Project aimed at helping Nigerian farmers adapt to climate change, improve productivity and strengthen food security.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Friday, seeks to integrate Climate Information Services (CIS) into agricultural value chains by providing farmers, agribusinesses and other stakeholders with timely weather and climate information to support better planning, risk management and investment decisions.
Speaking at the launch, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, described the project as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest to build a more productive, inclusive and climate-resilient agricultural sector.
He said the project would bring together government institutions, development partners, financial institutions, the private sector and farmer organisations to mainstream climate information into agribusiness solutions.
According to Ogunbiyi, the partnership will expand climate-smart agribusiness opportunities, unlock financing for farmers and improve rural livelihoods.
He commended NiMet, IFAD, the Gates Foundation and other development partners for supporting the initiative and urged stakeholders to sustain the collaboration needed to build resilient food systems across the country.
Also speaking, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike, described the project as a timely intervention that aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He stressed that access to reliable weather, climate and water-related information has become indispensable for sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.
According to Anosike, “timely, accurate, accessible, and actionable weather, climate, and water-related information is critical to climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food systems, and building resilience across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.”
He noted that farmers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, insurers, processors, logistics providers and investors all depend on credible climate intelligence to make informed decisions, minimise risks, protect investments and improve productivity.
The NiMet boss emphasised the importance of translating scientific climate information into simple, localised and actionable advisories that farmers can easily understand and apply.
He also called for stronger public-private partnerships to expand the delivery of climate services across the agricultural sector.
Anosike reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to the successful implementation of the project through the provision of its Seasonal Climate Prediction, agrometeorological bulletins, impact-based weather forecasts, early warning advisories and digital climate advisory platforms.
In her remarks, IFAD Country Director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for spearheading the initiative and acknowledged NiMet’s technical role in designing the project.
She said the CSAPR Project would promote financially viable public-private partnerships that embed Climate Information Services into agricultural value chains, enabling farmers and agribusinesses to better adapt to climate variability while boosting resilience, productivity and investment.
Representing the National Programme Coordinator of the SAPZ Programme, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, an official highlighted some early achievements of the project, including the installation of automated weather stations in Ogun and Kano states, the commencement of climate information dissemination and the distribution of digital devices to leaders of farmer organisations to facilitate timely weather advisory services.
The Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience Project is financed by the Gates Foundation and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the SAPZ Programme, with support from IFAD and NiMet.
The project is expected to strengthen climate resilience, improve food security and enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by embedding climate information services into sustainable agribusiness solutions delivered through effective public-private partnerships.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
