By Gabriel Ameh
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Tomorrow.io have begun a five-day co-design workshop (Feb 12–16) aimed at refining a Digital Climate Advisory Service (DCAS) that translates weather forecasts into practical guidance for Nigerian farmers.
At the heart of the workshop is the development of a Crop Decision Tree (CDT) a framework that links NiMet’s localized 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) directly to real farming activities like planting, irrigation, and harvesting.
Participants include officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, and representatives of farmer development groups, bringing technical expertise and on-ground realities into the design process.
The goal is simple: ensure climate advisories are shaped by both data and farmer experience.
The system is being designed to generate automated, actionable advisories for scenarios such as delayed rainfall, prolonged dry spells, or early rains.
These alerts are expected to help farmers reduce weather-related risks and make better timing decisions that can improve productivity and resilience.
Brian Miranda, representing Tomorrow.io, commended NiMet’s Director-General, Prof. Charles Anosike, for advancing the agency’s use of artificial intelligence in meteorology.
He noted that this approach can strengthen early warning systems for extreme weather and improve protection for vulnerable communities.
Prof. Anosike described the initiative as a practical tool to help farmers make smarter, easier decisions using simplified weather information tailored to their daily needs.
The workshop will proceed with technical sessions focused on building the DCAS Decision Tree a tool intended to bridge the gap between climate forecasts and crop and livestock management across Nigeria.
