By Felicia Imohimi
The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme says the launch of the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) project marks a major step towards building a modern, competitive and climate-resilient agricultural sector.
Dr Kabir Yusuf, National Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, said this at the unveiling of the Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-CSAPR project on Friday in Abuja.
Represented by Dr Zakari Tsiga, SAPZ Programme Operations Manager, Yusuf said climate change continued to threaten agricultural productivity through erratic rainfall, flooding, drought and other extreme weather events.
He said tackling the challenge required coordinated action and innovative solutions.
According to him, the CSAPR project integrates Climate Information Services (CIS) into agricultural value chains through strong public-private partnerships.
He said the initiative aligned with SAPZ’s objective of developing resilient agro-industrial ecosystems that improve productivity, attract investment and enhance rural livelihoods.
Yusuf said implementation of IFAD-supported activities was still at an early stage but had already recorded encouraging progress.
He said climate information dissemination had commenced, while automated weather stations had been installed in Ogun and Kano states.
He added that digital devices had also been distributed to leaders of farmer organisations to facilitate timely transmission of weather information to farmers.
“These achievements demonstrate our commitment to ensuring farmers have access to reliable climate information for better decision-making,” he said.
Yusuf said the workshop would strengthen partnerships, deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the project and generate recommendations for successful implementation.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, said the CSAPR project would strengthen Nigeria’s food systems, protect rural livelihoods and build a more resilient agricultural economy.
Anosike said the initiative reflected President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised agriculture and food security as drivers of inclusive prosperity, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
He said erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, shifting planting seasons, pests and other climate-related risks were already affecting productivity, incomes and food security across the country.
According to him, timely, accurate and accessible weather and climate information is critical to climate-smart agriculture.
He said farmers required reliable advisories on planting periods, input application, loss reduction and preparedness for extreme weather events.
He added that agribusinesses, financial institutions, insurers, processors and investors also depended on climate intelligence to manage risks and sustain agricultural value chains.
Anosike said the CSAPR project aligned with NiMet’s mandate to provide weather, climate and water-related information for sustainable development.
He said it also complemented the Federal Government’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen food systems, attract investment and improve the resilience of farming communities.
According to him, the project reinforces the need to move climate services beyond weather forecasts to practical decision-support tools accessible to farmers, extension workers, cooperatives and private sector operators.
Anosike reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, IFAD, state governments, development partners, research institutions and farmer organisations to expand access to Climate Information Services.
He said NiMet would continue supporting climate-informed agricultural planning through seasonal climate predictions, agrometeorological bulletins, impact-based forecasts, early warning advisories and digital climate advisory platforms. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
FUA/TAK
Edited by Tosin Kolade