NiMet: Effective Early Warning System Will Boost Food Security

Stories By Chinedu Eze

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), who is also the Permanent Representative of Nigeria with World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike, has said that effective early warning system, equipping farmers with the knowledge of weather patterns and seasonal forecasting could boost food security and ensure adequate protection from climate disasters.

Anosike was speaking recently as a panelist during the USAID Global Food Security Strategy Country Plan launch in Abuja. The panel discussed the role of development partners and Nigerian MDAs in ensuring food security.

Anosike said that Nigeria is presently facing food security challenges, which requires a new way of thinking by integrating weather and climate related factors into the entire agricultural value chain. According to Anosike, “NiMet is working with partners to mainstream weather and climate information in the agricultural value chain. We are using co-production mechanism to facilitate our seasonal climate prediction. NiMet ensures appropriate understanding and use of weather information by stakeholders to improve planning and strategic decision making. Our annual Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) is a climate action -early warning tool that gives an outlook of weather and climate variability in upcoming months within the year. It highlights rainfall patterns and temperature variability.”

Continuing, Anosike said: “Unpredictable rainfall patterns and extreme events can trigger competition for food and water. Declining agricultural outputs can lead to loss of income and exacerbate food insecurity. Temperature changes affect crop growth and yield, and can also destroy crops during post processing and transportation.”