By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
ABUJA – The Federal Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has launched the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) Project to strengthen climate resilience, enhance agricultural productivity and expand the use of Climate Information Services (CIS) across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.
The project, unveiled in Abuja on Friday, is aimed at integrating climate information into agribusiness operations through collaboration among government agencies, development partners, financial institutions, the private sector and farmer organizations.
Speaking at the launch, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to build a more productive, inclusive and climate-resilient agricultural sector.
He said the project would provide farmers and agribusinesses with timely climate information to improve decision-making, reduce risks and increase productivity while supporting sustainable food systems.
Ogunbiyi commended NiMet, IFAD, the Gates Foundation and other development partners for supporting the initiative, urging stakeholders to sustain collaboration to expand climate-smart agribusiness opportunities, unlock financing for farmers and improve rural livelihoods.
Also speaking, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, described the project as a strategic intervention that aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, timely, accurate and accessible weather, climate and water-related information is essential for climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food production and resilience across agricultural value chains.
Anosike noted that farmers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, insurers, processors, logistics providers and investors all require reliable climate intelligence to make informed decisions, manage risks and protect investments.
He stressed the need to translate climate information into simple, localized and actionable advisories while strengthening public-private partnerships to improve access to climate services.
The NiMet boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the project through the provision of Seasonal Climate Prediction, agrometeorological bulletins, impact-based forecasts, early warning advisories and digital climate advisory platforms.
In her remarks, IFAD Country Director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for its leadership and acknowledged NiMet’s technical role in designing the project.
She said the CSAPR Project would promote financially viable public-private partnerships that integrate Climate Information Services into agricultural value chains, enabling farmers and agribusinesses to better adapt to climate variability while improving productivity, resilience and investment.
Representing the National Programme Coordinator of the SAPZ Programme, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, an official highlighted early achievements under the initiative, including the installation of automated weather stations in Ogun and Kano states, the commencement of climate information dissemination and the distribution of digital devices to leaders of farmer organizations for timely weather advisory services.
The CSAPR Project is financed by the Gates Foundation and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the SAPZ Programme, with technical support from IFAD and NiMet. It is expected to enhance climate resilience, strengthen food security and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by embedding Climate Information Services into sustainable agribusiness solutions through effective public-private partnerships
