The Federal Government has called for collective efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s food systems against the growing threats of climate change through shared commitment to building resilience, enhancing productivity, and ensuring food security for millions of Nigerians.
Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu, Director of Planning and Policy Coordination, Federal Ministry Agriculture and Food Security made this call at the FGN/IFAD Best Practice Workshop on Public-Private Partnerships for Climate Information Services and the Consultations on the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) Project, on Monday in Abuja.
Mr. Tanimu noted that climate change poses one of the greatest challenges to agricultural development in Nigeria and across Africa, adding that erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events increasingly undermine farmers’ livelihoods, food security, and rural economies.
In response, the Director, who was represented by Mr. Aliyu Agwai, said the Federal Government, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has prioritized climate-resilient agriculture as a critical pillar of national development.
“This commitment is reflected in key policies and frameworks such as the National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), the CAADP Kampala Declaration, and Nigeria’s Food Systems Transformation Pathways. These frameworks serve as a compass guiding us toward a more resilient, productive, and inclusive agricultural sector.”
According to him, the Best Practice Workshop and the consultations on the CSAPR project are designed to: Build a common understanding of global and regional best practices on Public-Private Partnerships for Climate Information Services; Identify opportunities for leveraging the private sector to expand and scale up access to climate information for smallholder farmers; and Strengthen national ownership and secure strategic recommendations for the finalization and successful implementation of the CSAPR project.
Mr. Tanimu extended appreciation to development partners, the private sector, farmer organizations, and other MDAs for critical contributions in ensuring innovative solutions are not only designed, but also implemented at scale to reach those who need them most—the smallholder farmers.
Specifically, he said “This journey would not be possible without the invaluable support of our partners. We deeply appreciate IFAD for its unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural and rural transformation agenda, as well as its leadership in promoting climate resilience globally. We acknowledge NiMet for its technical expertise in climate information services, and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for its continued support in advancing this initiative.
“I equally wish to acknowledge and thank the co-financiers of the SAPZ project—the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)—for their steadfast partnership and support.”
Declaring the workshop open, Mr. Tanimu urged all actors present—government agencies, private sector players, farmer organizations, and development partners—to actively engage, share experiences, and fully leverage the best practices that will be discussed.
“Let us together chart a clear pathway for building a robust, inclusive, and climate-resilient agricultural sector in Nigeria.”
In a High-Level Remark, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, described the theme of the workshop as both forward-looking and urgent.
Mrs. Ekoue recalled the UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa where leaders reaffirmed that food systems transformation must be anchored in resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.
In her words; “ We gather at a defining moment for Nigeria, Africa, and the global community. Only weeks ago, at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa, leaders reaffirmed that food systems transformation must be anchored in resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability. For Nigeria, that Summit reinforced the country’s leadership in shaping Africa’s journey towards resilient and climate-smart food systems, with a clear emphasis on digital solutions and strengthened partnerships across government, the private sector, civil society, and development partners.
“At the continental level, the CAADP Kampala Declaration has once again underscored the importance of embedding resilience, mobilizing investments for innovation, and ensuring that women and youth are at the centre of agricultural transformation. Regionally, Nigeria’s role is pivotal. Globally, the stakes are high. Climate change is not a distant threat—it is a daily reality that is redefining risks, but also presenting opportunities for innovation, transformation, and shared prosperity.
“Nationally, Nigeria has laid out motivated Food Systems Transformation Pathways that prioritize climate-smart agriculture, digital innovations, and deeper partnerships that bring the private sector closer to farmers and rural communities. This vision is well aligned with IFAD’s strategic direction, particularly our commitment to climate mainstreaming across all investments. From the Value Chain Development Programme to LIFE-ND and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, IFAD has worked hand in hand with government and partners to embed resilience, gender equality, youth empowerment, and innovative financing into the very fabric of agricultural transformation.”
Mrs. Ekoue maintained that climate information services are not just technical tools, but they are life-saving, productivity-enhancing, and resilience-building instruments. “Farmers cannot adapt without timely and reliable information on when to plant, when to harvest, or how to prepare for extreme weather. Agribusinesses cannot scale sustainably without reliable data, early warning systems, and risk management instruments.”
Also, Director-General/CEO, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet), Prof. Charles Anosike, described Climate Smart Public Private Partnership (PPP) as critical in this era of climate change to enable integration of climate related risks into infrastructure development.
This, he added, can be achieved by embedding climate data, adaptation, and mitigation measures into project design to ensure long term stability.
Speaking on partnership with IFAD, Prof. Anosike said, “For us in NiMet, we have maintained a good working relationship with IFAD over the years, and we sincerely appreciate all the IFAD-funded projects in Nigeria, such as Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ).
“In line with the objective of this workshop today- to build a common understanding of best practices for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Climate Information Services (CIS)-NiMet is actively engaging with private sector practitioners across the CIS value Chain to establish sustainable Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) for Small-holder farmers in Nigeria. These efforts are designed to deliver timely and accurate climate information, enabling small holder farmers to make informed decisions that improve crop yields, protect their livelihoods, and strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change.”
Meanwhile, the workshop was organized in collaboration with IFAD, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and with the strong support of Nigeria Metrological Agency (NiMet), Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ).
