The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are collaborating to determine the appropriate meteorological and climate services models to use in order to reduce the detrimental impact of weather on food security in Nigeria.
Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, the Director General/CEO of NiMet, spoke to the media at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, acknowledging that a virtual meeting with the FAO team highlights the overarching significance of weather and climate in agriculture productivity.
Weather patterns, according to the DG, have a significant impact on crop growth, development, and yields, as well as the occurrence of pests and diseases, water needs, and fertilizer requirements.
This, he said, necessitates NiMet’s annual Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), which is scientifically conducted with the goal of assisting farmers, aviation players, and other sectors of the economy in incorporating weather and climate knowledge into their plans to reduce loss and multiplier negative impacts.
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Prof. Matazu stated that NiMet is committed to continual weather pattern monitoring in order to inform its partners of visible changes, particularly in farming activities, because failure to do so may result in a backlash of food insecurity.
The DG, said: “FAO being the specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The two organizations’ collaboration is not far fetched due to their visions.
Sworo Yopesi, FAO’s Emergency and Resilience Programme Specialist, stated in a statement that the organization has noticed the evolution of dry spells that could inhibit agriculture yields in some parts of the country, and that this necessitated an urgent meeting with NiMet to synergize and arrive at a collective solution that could lead to timely dissemination of weather alerts to the public.
Recall that NiMet had forecasted that seven Northern states will endure severe dry periods in June; however, the dry spell would improve by July and August, and the affected areas would be back to normal rainfall.
According to NiMet, bad weather can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality, and that projected increases in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and increased water availability could lead to low agriculture yields, which could lead to food insecurity and hunger.
