NiMet partners GHI to build agro-weather dissemination system
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has partnered with the Green Habitat Initiative (GHI) to develop the Agro-weather Dissemination System, a software-as-a-service platform designed to deliver weather information directly to smallholder farmers in rural Kebbi State. The initiative, called the Radio-Internet Climate Technology for Agricultural Resilience (RANETA), provides farmers with agro-weather information via SMS, USSD codes, […]
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has partnered with the Green Habitat Initiative (GHI) to develop the Agro-weather Dissemination System, a software-as-a-service platform designed to deliver weather information directly to smallholder farmers in rural Kebbi State.
The initiative, called the Radio-Internet Climate Technology for Agricultural Resilience (RANETA), provides farmers with agro-weather information via SMS, USSD codes, IVR messaging, and radio broadcasts. The service helps them determine the best planting periods and adopt strategies to reduce losses caused by adverse weather and climate change.
Speaking at a workshop in Abuja, NiMet’s Director-General, Prof. Charles Anosike, said RANETA bridges the gap between complex meteorological data and the realities of smallholder farmers.
“Harnessing radio and internet platforms will simplify forecasts, remove communication barriers, and deliver actionable insights directly to farmer communities,” he said.
Anosike explained that while NiMet has long produced agrometeorological information such as seasonal climate predictions, rainfall forecasts, crop calendars, and advisories, dissemination was previously limited to digital platforms, print media, and stakeholder organizations. RANETA, he added, now ensures that these forecasts reach farmers directly through accessible channels.
Project Director of RANETA and Executive Director of GHI, Engr. Sadiq Abubakar Gulma, said the initiative will help farmers avoid economic losses and align their activities with reliable forecasts.
Currently operational in Kebbi State, 100 farmers have been trained in climate-smart agriculture and will extend the knowledge to over 6,000 farmers across their communities, Gulma added.