The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on Nigerian governors to utilise the recent 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to boost their states’ economic resilience and sustainability.
This appeal comes as NiMet unveils its 2025 SCP, providing valuable insights into expected weather and climate patterns that are critical for various sectors, including agriculture, water resources, disaster management, health, defense, maritime operations, transportation, aviation.
HEDA’s Executive Secretary, Sulaimon Arigbabu, emphasised the importance of the SCP in guiding policies and actions that help Nigeria adapt to climate realities. He noted that reliable and timely climate information is crucial for Nigeria’s agriculture, which is largely climate dependent.
In 2024, HEDA Resource Centre in partnership with NIMET and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agencies (NIHSA) trained 150 personnel from states ministries of agriculture and environment alongside some NGOs in this regard. This, however, is just a drop in the ocean compared to what is required.
Arigbabu called on the Nigerian Governors Forum, all 36 State governors, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and the 774 local government Chairmen in their collective and respective capacities to take full advantage of the SCP and other climate information products from NiMet to fast-track the eradication of hunger and poverty, and usher in prosperity and sustainable development in their respective domains.
To achieve this, HEDA further recommends that state governments install more weather stations, work with NiMet to localise the SCP for their respective states, utilise their existing state-owned broadcast media, build local capacities for climate information understanding and utilising, as well as step up their collaboration and information sharing with NiMet in order to enhance the quality and relevance of agro-meteorology advisory services for their state. By taking these steps, Nigeria can strengthen its resilience to climate change, ensure food security, and promote sustainable development, according to HEDA.
In conclusion, HEDA highlighted the significance of the SCP as an early warning mechanism, enabling stakeholders to anticipate and adapt to climate vagaries. The group commended NiMet’s commitment to providing accurate and reliable climate information to support decision-making across various sectors.