NiMet, CARE Nigeria partner to improve climate-smart agriculture, disaster mitigation

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and CARE Nigeria, a subsidiary of CARE USA, have agreed to collaborate on improving climate-smart agriculture and enhancing disaster mitigation efforts across Nigeria.

This decision was reached when Charles Anosike, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, hosted the Country Director of CARE Nigeria, Hussaini Abdu, and his team at the NiMet headquarters in Abuja.

The collaboration is expected to enhance early warning systems, improve agricultural productivity, and support communities in adapting to climate change, ultimately strengthening Nigeria’s resilience to environmental challenges.

During the meeting, Anosike emphasized the importance of timely weather and climate information in preparing the nation for disaster response, particularly for farmers and vulnerable communities.

He noted that NiMet has existing partnerships with state governments through the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and other organizations to disseminate crucial weather and climate data.

“What we do is very critical to preparing the nation for disaster response. Partnering with CARE, a big player in the humanitarian sector globally and in Nigeria, will help us reach end users of our weather and climate information. We deal with perishable products. Getting the information out to farmers and other users on time is very important,” Anosike stated.

He also highlighted the growing complexity of humanitarian crises due to climate change and global conflicts. “It is important for us to discuss how climate-informed decision-making can be integrated into poverty reduction frameworks.

Climate crises displace communities and lead to challenges such as forced labour and human trafficking. Integrating weather and climate information into decision-making is critical for sustainable development,” he added.

In response, Abdu expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss areas of collaboration with NiMet. He provided an overview of CARE Nigeria’s work, noting that the organization, which was established in 2017, initially focused on humanitarian response in the Northeast but has since expanded its mandate to include broader development programs.

“Climate change has become a major concern as it is contributing to humanitarian crises, particularly in the Northeast. We recognize the importance of NiMet and the work it does. CARE Nigeria also works with smallholder farmers and remains committed to climate-smart agriculture. Partnering with NiMet will help sustain the work that organizations like ours are doing,” Abdu said.

He further stated that the partnership would elevate climate-related discussions in Nigeria and enable stronger advocacy for climate-friendly public policies.

Following the discussions, both organizations agreed to formalize their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) shortly.