BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Crea2Solutions, is developing a digital platform to provide farmers and other agricultural stakeholders with reliable weather and climate information.
Known as the NiMet Data Hub, the platform has advanced from the design stage to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), with NiMet’s weather and climate services currently undergoing testing.
The initiative, which began in February 2026 under the Climate Services for Youth (CS4Y) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) programmes, is designed to improve access to location-specific weather forecasts, historical climate records and other information needed for agricultural planning.
The platform is expected to help farmers, livestock keepers, agricultural extension workers, researchers, government agencies and private advisory providers make better decisions in response to changing weather conditions.
The development comes amid concerns over gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural climate information system, including fragmented data, weak coordination among information providers and difficulties in translating technical weather forecasts into practical advice for farmers.
Under the initiative, NiMet and ILRI have been engaging stakeholders to identify weaknesses in the country’s agro-meteorological information and advisory systems.
The engagement focuses on improving access to climate data, strengthening cooperation among institutions, addressing information delivery gaps and ensuring that weather advisories reach farmers and other end users in a timely manner.
The partners are also working to improve communication at the grassroots level while promoting gender and social inclusion in the delivery of climate services.
NiMet’s existing resources, including online map rooms and agricultural climate products, are expected to support the hub by providing information for the development of tailored weather and climate advisories.
ILRI is contributing its experience in research data management, digital tools and the delivery of information to institutions and decision-makers.
The hub is intended to support climate-smart agriculture and improve preparedness among farmers and livestock producers by making relevant information easier to access and understand.
It is also expected to help reduce climate-related losses and strengthen livelihoods across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The project aligns with the food security, climate-smart agriculture and digital service objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
