The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has presented its maiden Livestock Weather Bulletin to the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, marking a step toward integrating climate intelligence into Nigeria’s livestock sector.
The presentation was made during a courtesy visit led by NiMet’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike, to the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
According to Prof. Anosike, the Livestock Weather Bulletin is designed to deliver timely, location-specific weather information tailored to the needs of livestock farmers. He said the bulletin aims to support better decision-making, improve productivity, strengthen planning, and reduce exposure to climate- and weather-related risks across the livestock value chain.
NiMet noted that weather conditions play a significant role in livestock production, influencing animal health, feed and water availability, breeding cycles, and daily farm operations such as housing and waste management. Prof. Anosike added that access to reliable weather forecasts enables farmers to anticipate heat stress, drought, disease risks, and other climate impacts, helping to reduce financial losses and improve production outcomes.
Reaffirming NiMet’s mandate as Nigeria’s national authority on weather and climate services, the Director-General expressed the agency’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry through data sharing, training, and capacity-building programmes for extension officers and livestock farmers. He said such collaboration would support the development of climate-resilient livestock systems nationwide.
In his response, Minister Maiha highlighted the practical importance of weather information in livestock farming, drawing from his personal experience as a private farmer. He disclosed that the Ministry has identified 417 grazing reserves across the country and recently secured approval for their rehabilitation. He stressed that close collaboration with NiMet would be critical to ensuring the initiative is climate-smart and resilient to weather-related challenges.
The Minister also revealed plans to establish a situation room at the Ministry’s new office complex, where live weather data would be displayed on a central dashboard. He welcomed NiMet’s efforts, noting their alignment with the Federal Government’s broader agenda to modernise and professionalise Nigeria’s livestock sector.
Both institutions agreed to establish a technical working group by January 2026 to define priority areas of collaboration. Plans were also outlined for the drafting and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the first quarter of 2026, alongside joint workshops and capacity-building programmes scheduled for early 2026.
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