Nigeria (Commonwealth) _ The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) have recently unveiled an association on a number of initiatives to increase agricultural output in Nigeria.
This came after a meeting between NiMet’s Director General and CEO, Professor Charles Anosike, and NIRSAL’s Managing Director and CEO, Abbas Umar Masanawa, OON, at the company’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Prof. Anosike stated during the meeting that the urgency of climate action necessitates collaboration among essential stakeholders, investment in preparedness, and protection of smallholder farmers through early warnings of climate calamity. NiMet is interested in investigating potential for both NiMet and NIRSAL to collaborate in de-risking agriculture. NiMet’s work and the data it collects on a regular basis will assist farmers in making smart and efficient planning decisions.
Masanawa welcomed the NiMet team and stated that NiMet has achieved success not just in the aviation industry but also in other economic areas such as agriculture.
Anosike and his colleagues have had great success not just in aviation, but also in agriculture. NIRSAL is interested in cooperating with them to help smallholder farmers enhance production. This is consistent with NIRSAL’s mandate, he explained.
Masanawa stated that partnering with NiMet was crucial because the goal would be to increase primary output. This will benefit everyone, as farmers are the most vulnerable. We are particularly pleased that NiMeT has downscaled its meteorological and climate data and information to multiple local Nigerian languages for greater accessibility and understanding, Masanawa said.
NiMet and NIRSAL have created strategic alliances on various initiatives to improve agricultural efficiency in Nigeria. Prof. Charles Anosike, Nimet’s Director-General, stated that the collaborative meeting was place at the NIRSAL Plc headquarters in Abuja, with Abbas Masanawa, NIRSAL’s Managing Director, in attendance.
Anosike said that the urgency of climate action necessitated collaboration among essential stakeholders, investment in preparedness, and protection for smallholder farmers through early warnings of climatic calamities.
He stated that NiMet was interested in investigating collaboration opportunities between the weather forecast service and NIRSAL to de-risk agriculture. He went on to say that NiMet’s efforts and the data it collects on a daily basis will help farmers plan more effectively and efficiently.
Climate change has a significant influence on farming activities and agricultural production, emphasizing the importance of data-driven farming operations. This will assist to reduce risk in the agricultural value chain. Masanawa stated in his statement that NiMet has performed successfully throughout the years not just in the aviation industry, but also in other economic areas like as agriculture.
He emphasized NIRSAL’s readiness to partner with NiMet to help small-holder farmers for greater production, stating that this was consistent with the company’s mandate. He stated that collaborating with NiMet was critical because the focus will be on expanding primary production.
He stated that this will benefit everyone, as farmers are the most disadvantaged people. We are particularly pleased that NiMeT expands its meteorological and climate data and information into many native Nigerian languages for greater accessibility and comprehension.
Nigeria grows a variety of crops, including beans, rice, sesame, cashew nuts, cassava, cocoa beans, groundnuts, gum arabic, kolanut, cocoa, maize (corn), melon, millet, palm kernels, palm oil, plantains, rice, rubber, sorghum, soybeans, bananas, and yams.
Historically, Nigeria exported groundnut and palm kernel oil. However, over time, the rate of exports of these items has dropped. A few years ago, local Nigerian businesses began exporting groundnuts, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, moringa seeds, ginger, cocoa, and other commodities.
The country’s agricultural goods are divided into two categories: food crops grown for domestic use and cash crops produced for profit and exported overseas. Before the civil war, Nigeria was self-sufficient in food, but this dropped after 1973.Bread manufactured from American wheat overtook native crops as the most affordable staple meal. Between 1980 and 2016, yam output climbed from around 5 million to 44 million tons.
