The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has urged governments across West and Central Africa to step up their support for climate adaptation initiatives and water resource management, calling for stronger partnerships and investment in research and innovation.
Prof. Kehinde Ogunjobi, IWMI’s Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, made this appeal during a side session at the International Conference on Climate Change and Just Energy Transition (I3C-JET 2025), held on Monday in Abuja.
The three-day conference, themed “Sustainable Climate Resilience and Just Energy Transition in Africa,” brought together policymakers, researchers, and development partners to explore strategies for sustainable energy and environmental transformation across the continent.
Speaking during the session titled “From Risk to Resilience – Climate Change Adaptation in Land and Water Management for Improved Agricultural Productivity,” Prof. Ogunjobi explained that IWMI, a member of the CGIAR global research consortium, is dedicated to advancing water security, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive growth across Africa.
He said the institute collaborates with national ministries, research agencies, and development partners to design solutions that promote sustainable management of water and agricultural systems while addressing gender disparities in access and participation.
Ogunjobi emphasized IWMI’s commitment to empowering smallholder farmers, particularly women, with scientific data and evidence-based tools for irrigation and efficient water use. He, however, pointed out that despite progress by some governments in addressing climate-related challenges, more needs to be done in terms of funding, data collection, and capacity development.
“Reliable data and evidence are the backbone of effective climate action and agricultural planning,” Ogunjobi noted. “Unfortunately, limited domestic funding and declining international assistance, especially from countries like the United States, have slowed progress.”
He called on regional governments to strengthen collaboration with research institutions like IWMI to develop innovative, data-driven, and locally relevant solutions that can enhance farmers’ resilience and improve livelihoods.
Highlighting the economic toll of climate extremes, Ogunjobi said Africa loses between 2 and 5 percent of its GDP annually to climate-induced disasters, while adaptation costs are projected to range between $30 billion and $50 billion each year.
He added that IWMI is supporting countries through technologies such as solar-powered irrigation, on-farm water management systems, and hydro-climatic modeling to help mitigate the impact of erratic weather patterns and improve productivity.
The session, he explained, aimed to bridge the gap between policy and practice by fostering partnerships that promote inclusive, evidence-based responses to climate risks.
Earlier, Dr. Birhanu Zemadim, IWMI’s Deputy Country Representative and Senior Researcher, warned that changing rainfall patterns and rising climate variability are severely affecting agricultural productivity across the region.
He explained that West Africa’s climate is divided mainly into two zones, the Sahelian and Guinean belts, each defined by distinct rainfall characteristics and crop patterns.
“The Sahelian region, covering the northern and southern Sahel and the Sudanian belt, receives between 200 and 800 millimetres of rain annually, supporting drought-tolerant crops like millet, sorghum, and cowpea.
The Guinean zone, which stretches along the coast, receives between 1,100 and 2,000 millimetres of rainfall and supports perennial crops such as cocoa, grapes, and fennel,” Zemadim explained.
He attributed these rainfall differences to the seasonal movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which determines the duration and intensity of rainfall across the continent.
According to him, while parts of the Sahel have recently experienced a slight increase in rainfall, the Guinean zone is witnessing declining precipitation and shifting rainy seasons, particularly in Central Guinea, a development disrupting planting cycles and threatening food security.
Zemadim noted that rain-fed agriculture,which accounts for about half of all farming activities and contributes roughly 25 percent to West Africa’s GDP,remains highly vulnerable to these shifts. He therefore urged governments to prioritize investment in modern land and water management systems to reduce climate risks and build long-term resilience for farmers.
IWMI, a CGIAR research centre headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, operates in 15 countries, including Nigeria. Through a global network of scientists working in more than 55 nations, the institute partners with governments, academia, the private sector, and development organisations to deliver science-based solutions that advance climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.
