NiMet collaborates with MTN to provide weather intelligence to farmers across Nigeria
Telecommunications giant MTN has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to disseminate vital weather and climate information to farmers and other stakeholders in the value chain to enhance agricultural productivity and bolster food security across Nigeria.
This collaboration follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in February 2024 between NiMet and Tomorrow.io, a prominent weather intelligence company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with extensive operations across Africa and the Middle East.
The partnership between MTN and NiMet encompasses various initiatives aimed at commercializing weather data, enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasts, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in weather and climate intelligence applications.
Speaking on behalf of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, Tobechukwu Okigbo, the Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, emphasised the company’s commitment to supporting national initiatives that improve the quality of life for Nigerians.
He disclosed that with over 77 million subscribers on its network, MTN aims to facilitate NiMet’s collaboration with Tomorrow.io to extend weather services to farmers nationwide.
Okigbo stated, “We are open to supporting NiMet’s partnership with Tomorrow.io to make this service available to farmers across Nigeria. We appreciate the opportunity to work together to improve the nation’s food security and anticipate a fruitful working relationship.”
Echoing this sentiment, Professor Charles Anosike, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, highlighted the agency’s pivotal role in observing, collating, and disseminating meteorological data and information across various sectors including agriculture, aviation, marine, oil and gas, construction, and academia.
Anosike affirmed, “The weather and climate data that we generate are useful planning tools for all Nigerians, farmers, and other sectoral operators. We are delighted to partner with MTN Nigeria to support the critical task of disseminating weather and climate information to farmers to boost food security, which is a key component of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
With this collaboration, MTN and NiMet aim to empower farmers with timely and accurate weather insights, ultimately contributing to increased agricultural yields and national food security.
