Between May and October 2022, flooding in Nigeria displaced over 1.4 million people. According to the National Emergency Management Agency , the floods resulted in the tragic loss of over 603 lives, with an additional 2,400 people injured. The impact of the floods stretched beyond human casualties; 82,035 buildings were damaged, and 332,327 hectares of land were ruined.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency is among the oldest public institutions in the country. It has the critical responsibility of providing meteorological information to the government and citizens through forecasts and warnings for prompt early action by actors and the socio-economic impact of weather and climate changes across different government sectors.
Collaborate with existing farmer networks: To further drive last-mile dissemination of essential weather and climate advisory services, NiMET must partner with farmer and industry associations like the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Agribusiness Group to reach smallholder farmers at scale. These organisations can potentially provide an organised way to reach farmers at the local and district level with targeted information.
Capacity-Build Farmers: Donor-funded programs like The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta of Nigeria that support climate education for farmers should be scaled to other parts of the country. These farmer programs would enhance their ability to interpret data effectively and make educated choices in response to weather forecasts.