The Hon. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has emphasized that the timely release of Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) will empower Nigerian farmers with the necessary information for better decision-making and agricultural planning, ultimately enhancing productivity.
Sen. Abdullahi made these remarks during the presentation of the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), themed “The Role of Early Warnings towards a Climate-Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development,” by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in Abuja on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
He explained that the SCP serves as an essential advisory tool for farmers, offering site-specific downscaling that, when implemented, would boost farmers’ resilience and adaptive capacity to the impacts of climate change. “Early warning systems and climate intelligence are crucial for resilience, adaptation, and economic stability,” said Abdullahi, stressing that the SCP is vital to Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
According to Abdullahi, the agricultural sector contributed 17.22 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2024, with smallholder farmers comprising more than 70 percent of the workforce. He noted that the SCP will help farmers increase productivity, while also addressing issues like poverty, hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, food imports, and unemployment. Furthermore, it will enhance women’s empowerment in agriculture and improve environmental performance.
The Minister praised the collaboration between NiMet and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in integrating climate intelligence into agricultural practices. He affirmed, “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is fully supporting and committed to the early warning system, climate-smart agriculture, and all initiatives aimed at achieving food security and a resilient environment.”
Abdullahi also highlighted that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has prioritized SCP, with the office of the Presidential Special Envoy on Climate Action designated as the lead negotiator on climate-related matters and the coordination of climate-action initiatives across federal ministries.
