By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has partnered with MTN Nigeria and Tomorrow.io to develop a Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) System. This innovative system aims to provide Nigerian farmers with location-specific, actionable weather advisories via mobile SMS, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) Headquarters, Abuja.
The partnership which is in line with the United Nations (UN) goal of ensuring early warning systems for all, would serve the need of strengthening climate resilience in Nigeria, particularly in the agricultural sector. This partnership will leverage Tomorrow.io’s advanced weather intelligence capabilities and MTN’s extensive telecommunications network to deliver critical weather information to farmers across Nigeria. This collaboration is expected to boost food security and improve the overall agricultural sector in the country.
In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike said that the overall aim of the partnership was to improve agricultural productivity and resilience by providing localized, timely weather advisories.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), MTN, and Tomorrow.io will work together to develop, deploy, and test the Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) platform.
According to Prof. Anosike: “This aligns with the food security agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government”.
Additionally, Anosike said that the choice of MTN and Tomorrow.io was strategic as they were leaders in their respective sectors.
“I am excited welcoming the MTN CEO, Karl Toriola, the officials Shoyinka Shodunke (Chief Information Officer),Tobechukwu Okigbo (Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer), and the Tomorrow.io team to NiMet for this groundbreaking MoU signing that will impact not only the agricultural sector but the entire Nigerian economy.
“My primary objective has been to open up the space of the business of climate science to the private sector so that they will begin to understand the incredible impact of climate science” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Karl Toriola in his address, said that MTN was always looking for ways to support government agencies and the Nigerian public in general.
“I am optimistic about what this partnership with NiMet and Tomorrow.io will do for the agricultural sector, emergency and disaster management, the public and the Nigerian economy as a whole.
“From the bottom of our hearts we are grateful to NiMet for allowing MTN to partner with it”.
In his address, Dr. Henry Onyemachi, the Managing Director of Tomorrow.io, expressed gratitude to the DG/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike for his robust leadership in directing the process, leading to the signing of the MoU.
Onyemachi said: “For us at Tomorrow.io, it’s a very happy moment, reflecting on the progressive and very focused journey which began a year ago.
The project’s focus on food security echoes President Tinubu’s commitment to this vital issue, underscoring its potential for meaningful impact” he said.
