That NiMet, Agriculture Sector’s Collaboration for Economic Prosperity, by Dr. Uche Nworah
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is a Ministry of the Federal Government of Nigeria that has the required to guarantee food security in crop, animals and fisheries. The ministry is likewise charged to promote farming work and services, promote the production and supply of basic materials to Agro- allied markets, offer markets for the items of the commercial sector, create forex and help rural socio-economic advancement throughout Nigeria.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), is a Federal Government of Nigeria company charged with the duty to encourage the Federal Government on all elements of meteorology. NiMet is likewise entrusted to job, prepare and analyze federal government policy in the field of meteorology; and to provide weather condition (and environment) projections for the safe operations of airplanes, ocean going vessels and oil well.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have in the past made transfer to enhance their existing relationship towards enhancing farming production and food security in Nigeria. The Ministry and NiMet had actually signed an MoU on the 3rd of March, 2022, to team up in a great deal of locations consisting of advancement of a dash-board for early caution systems, capability structure for personnel of the Ministry and other stakeholders on accessing and translating info on meteorological specification modifications, and the arrangement of agro-meteorological advisory services to farmers on particular farming products. It would appear as if things quietened down after the MoU was signed.
At a joint press instruction on NiMet’s 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), at the circumstances of the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, on Tuesday, 16th April, 2024, the Honourable Minister and the Director General, Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, and Nigeria’s irreversible agent with World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike, fixed to reinforce the relationship and make it more powerful. The Honourable Minister stated at journalism instruction; “Your existence here today, at our head office, marks another turning point in the intentional and preferable partnership and co-operation in between our Ministry and your company. For many years, vital sectors of the economy, such as air travel, maritime, and farming, have actually concerned depend on the Seasonal Climate Prediction released by NiMeT typically in the very first quarter of the year. The dependability of the Seasonal Climate Prediction is shown by increased option to the weather condition advisories included therein”.
The Honourable Minister likewise stated that NIMET’s Seasonal Climate Prediction can help in forming farming in Nigeria with regard to details about the pattern and period of rains throughout the nation’s agronomic zones, when to grow and length of growing season, along with droughts that might occasion loss of farming financial investment, where restorative procedures are not taken. This in turn assists to enhance the adaptive capability of farmers. Unfortunately, there have actually been farming seasons in Nigeria when farmers did not make the most of the institutional recommendations from NIMET, and by themselves misread the rains pattern, just to deal with droughts that inevitably destroyed their crops and incomes.
Check out Also:
In his remarks, Professor Anosike thanked the Honourable Minister for his management and the kind gesture to enhance the relationship in between NiMet and the ministry. “NiMet wants to construct on the database of farmers that the ministry has. Currently NiMet shares info about seasonal environment forecast through official engagements with farmers, and through the media such as the BBC, social networks, Radio Nigeria and through nationwide tv stations.
A lot of spaces still exist within the dissemination area. Our objective is to reach as numerous Nigerians as possible with prompt, precise and actionable weather condition and environment info as part of NiMet Early Warning Drive”
Continuing, Professor Anosike stated; “Food security needs constant cooperation with all stakeholders. The SCP as forecasted are appearing however the obstacle stays distributing the contents to over 70 million farmers in Nigeria. Farmers require to be geared up with details and other resources to make environment durable choices”.
It is notable and motivating that weeks after the joint press instruction in between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and NiMet, there are proofs of the restored partnership. This is favorable and will benefit the Nigerian economy. Understanding is power and if Nigerian farmers have weather condition and environment details equated in their regional languages, they will have the ability to make environment resistant choices such as understanding when to plant, what types of plants and seeds to plant and when to gather to attain higher yield.
The 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) launched by NiMet supplies an outlook of environment variables to assist enhance decision-making throughout all sectors of the economy. NiMet’s SCP for 2024 which was initially launched in February 2024, projections regular on-set of rains over the northern states.Borno, Abia and Akwa Ibom states are forecasted to have early on- sets. An early end to the season is anticipated for parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ogun and Lagos states.
A late secession is anticipated over the southern states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Ekiti and part of Edo, Delta, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, FCT, Niger and Kaduna states.
Day and Night time temperature levels for January to May is anticipated to be warmer than regular in many parts of the nation. Many of the North is prepared for to be cooler in March.
The Ministry and NiMet have re-intensified efforts at sharing NiMet’s seasonal environment forecast (SCP), utilizing FRCN network service, regional radio, regional and nationwide press, nationwide and regional tv. They are likewise utilizing social networks platforms. Using the multi-step details circulation design will need social networks savvy stakeholders getting the info online and sharing exact same to the farmers in their different neighborhoods.
A crucial element of the dissemination is the physical downscaling of the SCP details to farmers in the different neighborhoods. This will need the assistance of the numerous states ministries of farming and NGOs running in the farming area. They need to support existing downscaling efforts by the ministry and NiMet. From the schedule launched by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and NiMet, downscaling of SCP details to farmers in the 6 geopolitical zones have actually been set up as follows; Ondo (13th May), Imo (15th May), Delta (17th May), Niger (22nd May), Sokoto (4th June) and Borno (6th June). Farmers, civil society companies, states ministries of farming, the media and other stakeholders can assist in sensitizing the farmers to participate in on the dates specified for their zones.
This effort by the 2 MDAs is considered as a favorable action towards boosting food security in Nigeria. It will empower our farmers, and has the capability to reduce the seasonal obstacles of environment irregularity. It will at the exact same time contribute towards sustainable durability in the farming worth chain.
The complete SCP report can be downloaded from www.nimet.gov.ng. The report is likewise readily available from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture And Food Security Abuja, and State Ministries of Agriculture.
Dr. Nworah, a public affairs analyst composed from Lagos.