The National Coordinator of the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Dr. Fati Aliyu, has announced that the programme has entered into a partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to provide daily weather forecasts to smallholder farmers in nine states as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and boost food production.
She disclosed this during the graduation of youth fabricators and the distribution of equipment to beneficiaries of the VCDP Adaptation for Smallholders Agriculture Programme (ASAP) grant in Minna, Niger State.
The benefiting states include Niger, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Taraba, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu.
Dr. Aliyu explained that the collaboration has already led to the establishment of mini weather stations in local government areas where forecasts are delivered in local languages, helping farmers make informed decisions about their planting and harvesting activities.
She added that under the ASAP grant, 45 beneficiaries across nine local government areas in Niger State received equipment, including cassava peel conversion machines, rice husk briquette machines, solar-powered irrigation pumps, power tillers for bund construction, as well as laptops and phones for accessing climate information.
According to her, the grant is designed to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers against climate change in Niger and Kogi states, targeting 24,000 beneficiaries 19,000 farmers in Niger, including women, and 5,000 in Kogi.
“The intervention covers climate-resilient planting materials, soil conservation, waste-to-wealth initiatives, improved access to water resources, and renewable energy solutions,” Aliyu said. “Additionally, youths were trained in fabricating agricultural equipment, empowering them with practical skills to create jobs and support farmers.”
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State, represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, commended the initiative, describing it as consistent with the state’s agricultural revolution agenda. He thanked the Federal Government and IFAD/VCDP for recognising Niger’s efforts in agriculture and pledged sustained support.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Engr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, represented by a director, Mohammed Bashir Abdulkadir, said empowering youths with practical skills was vital to strengthening the agricultural machinery ecosystem.
Also speaking, the Niger State VCDP Coordinator, Hajiya Hadizat Isah, thanked the state government for providing an enabling environment and urged it to ensure the timely release of counterpart funds for 2025.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Ahmed Matthew, observed that the distributed equipment would encourage youths to venture into farming while helping reduce post-harvest losses.
Representatives of the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Minna Green House, the National Association of Meteorological and Disaster Agencies (NAMDA), and Edati Local Government applauded the initiative, describing it as a step toward building climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria.
