The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has called on stakeholders to work collectively in addressing food insecurity through a coordinated, data-driven, and solution-oriented approach.
This call was made by NiMet’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike, during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Prof. Anosike, who also serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), reaffirmed NiMet’s support for the Food and Nutrition Security Information System (FNSIS) and stressed the importance of collaboration in developing a robust national framework to address food and climate-related challenges.
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He highlighted NiMet’s ongoing partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to downscale seasonal forecasts, enabling farmers across the country to make informed decisions that enhance productivity.
He also underscored the agency’s role in early warning systems and disaster risk reduction, crucial components in safeguarding food security.
Prof. Anosike shared insights into the National Framework for Early Warning and Early Action, developed by NiMet with support from the WMO, which aims to coordinate institutional responses to climate and food crises.
While speaking with the delegate, he said that copies of the framework would be made available to all relevant stakeholders, aimed to “foster synergy, eliminate duplication of efforts, and strengthen the national response to emerging threats.”
Leader of the visiting delegation, Mr. Williams Massaoud, commended NiMet’s contributions to climate services and its role in supporting food security efforts.
He stressed the significance of integrating meteorological data into the broader FNSIS and outlined the goals of the PRISISAN Project (Project for Strengthening and Innovating Food and Nutrition Security Information Systems), noting its support to countries in the Sahel and West Africa with the focus of building sustainable information systems for effective food crisis management.
“Mr. Massaoud further highlighted that the mission includes representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), the Cadre Harmonisé Taskforce, and other key development partners committed to tackling food and nutrition insecurity in the region,” the statement noted.
“Prof. Anosike reiterated the importance of collective action, urging all relevant stakeholders to collaborate in tackling food insecurity through the development of a coordinated, data-driven, and integrated food security information system that supports evidence-based decision-making and long-term resilience.”
