By Abdullahi Lukman
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has begun testing a digital platform aimed at giving farmers and other agricultural stakeholders easier access to location-specific weather and climate information.
The NiMet Data Hub, developed in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Crea2Solutions, has progressed from the design and mock-up stage to an advanced minimum viable product, the agency said in a statement on Monday.
The platform is designed to provide farmers, livestock keepers, agricultural advisers and other users with access to historical, real-time and forecast climate information for planning and risk management.
NiMet said development of the hub began in February 2026 under the Climate Services for Youth and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa programmes. By July, the project had advanced to a testable product.
The agency said the initiative was developed in response to challenges affecting agricultural climate services, including fragmented data, weak coordination among information providers and difficulties in translating technical forecasts into practical advice for end users.
Stakeholder engagements jointly organised by NiMet and ILRI have focused on mapping Nigeria’s agro-meteorological data and advisory systems, identifying information gaps and improving communication between service providers and users.
The project also seeks to strengthen institutional collaboration, improve last-mile delivery of climate information and promote gender and social inclusion in agricultural advisory services.
Farmers, pastoralists, extension workers, researchers, government agencies and private advisory providers are among the expected users of the platform.
NiMet said its existing resources, including online map rooms and agricultural climate products, would feed into the Data Hub and help generate location-specific agro-weather advisories.
ILRI is supporting the initiative through its work in organising research data, developing digital tools and making climate information more accessible to partners and decision-makers.
According to NiMet, the platform is expected to help farmers and agricultural advisers make better-informed decisions, improve preparedness and reduce losses associated with weather and climate risks.
The agency and its partners are expected to continue testing and refining the platform ahead of its wider deployment as efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen food security continue.
