BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has formally presented the maiden edition of its Livestock Weather Bulletin to the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, a move regarded as a significant step toward strengthening climate-smart livestock production in Nigeria.
The presentation was made during a courtesy visit led by NiMet’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike, to the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
Speaking during the visit, Prof. Anosike said the engagement was aimed at introducing the Ministry to a specialised weather product designed to support livestock farmers nationwide.
“The purpose of this visit is to present to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the maiden edition of the Livestock Weather Bulletin,” he stated.
He explained that the bulletin delivers timely and accurate weather information tailored specifically to livestock production, enabling farmers to make informed decisions, improve productivity, plan operations effectively and minimise exposure to climate- and weather-related risks.
Professor Anosike highlighted the critical role meteorological data plays in livestock farming, noting that “weather information is crucial for livestock farming, influencing animal health such as heat stress and disease, feed and water availability through pasture growth and drought conditions, breeding cycles, and daily operations including housing and manure management.”
He added that access to reliable forecasts allows farmers to take proactive steps that reduce financial losses and improve overall production outcomes.
Reaffirming NiMet’s mandate as Nigeria’s national authority on weather and climate services, the Director-General expressed the Agency’s readiness to work closely with the Ministry.
He said NiMet is prepared to provide training and capacity-building programmes for extension officers and livestock farmers to deepen the effective use of meteorological information and promote climate-resilient livestock systems.
In his response, the Minister, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, highlighted the practical value of weather forecasting, drawing from his personal experience as a farmer.
He noted that accurate weather information plays a key role in managing his private farming investments.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry has identified 417 grazing reserves across the country and has recently secured approval for their rehabilitation.
He stressed that collaboration with NiMet would be crucial to ensuring the initiative is climate-smart and resilient to weather-related challenges.
Maiha also revealed plans to establish a situation room in the Ministry’s new office complex, where live weather data would be displayed on a dashboard to support real-time decision-making.
He welcomed NiMet’s alignment with government policies aimed at modernising and repositioning the livestock sector.
The meeting ended with both parties agreeing to set up a technical working group by January 2026 to identify and prioritise areas of collaboration. It was further agreed that a Memorandum of Understanding would be drafted and signed by the first quarter of 2026 to formalise cooperation on weather data sharing, training and joint capacity-building programmes scheduled for early 2026.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
