As climate change intensifies, transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector from a vulnerable system into a resilient one is no longer optional—it’s an urgent imperative for national food security and economic stability. Dr. Festus Imuk, an environmental health specialist, provides a critical analysis and a actionable roadmap in a recent interview, highlighting the convergence of environmental pressure and agricultural necessity.
The core challenge, as Dr. Imuk outlines, is the fundamental vulnerability of a system that is predominantly rain-fed. Climate change manifests not as a distant threat, but through immediate, tangible disruptions: erratic rainfall patterns that confuse planting cycles, rising temperatures that stress crops and livestock, and an increased frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods. These impacts cut across all agricultural domains—crop yields diminish, livestock face heat stress and reduced fodder, fisheries are disrupted, and ultimately, farm incomes plummet. This creates a vicious cycle that threatens rural livelihoods and exacerbates food insecurity for the entire nation.
To break this cycle, Dr. Imuk advocates for a holistic shift to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). This goes beyond singular solutions, demanding a systemic, multi-pronged strategy:
1. Foundational Shifts in Farming Practice: The first pillar involves building resilience directly on the farm. This includes:
– Genetic Resilience: Developing and distributing improved seed varieties bred for drought tolerance, flood resistance, and shorter growing cycles to adapt to unpredictable seasons.
– Ecological Farming: Actively promoting crop rotation, agroforestry (integrating trees with crops), and mixed farming. These practices are not new, but their value for risk diversification, soil preservation, and creating microclimates is now paramount.
– Soil and Water Stewardship: Techniques like mulching, using cover crops, and constructing rainwater harvesting systems are essential to lock moisture into the soil, combat erosion, and maintain fertility—effectively making farms less dependent on immediate rainfall.
2. Policy and Institutional Coordination: Dr. Imuk stresses that farmer-led efforts cannot succeed without robust government enablement. Key recommendations include:
– Breaking Silos: Forging a strong, operational alignment between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and climate-focused agencies like the National Council on Climate Change. This ensures agricultural policies are inherently climate-informed.
– Early Warning as a Service: Establishing reliable climate information services that deliver timely, localized alerts on impending droughts, floods, and heatwaves directly to farmers, allowing for proactive measures.
– Financial and Educational Access: Providing targeted subsidies, credit facilities, and insurance products for farmers adopting CSA practices, coupled with continuous extension education to bridge the knowledge gap.
3. Leveraging Technology and Clean Energy: The modernisation of Nigerian agriculture must be green and digital.
– Digital Tools for Precision: Mobile applications that provide hyper-local weather forecasts, pest and disease alerts, and real-time market prices empower farmers to make informed decisions, reducing waste and maximizing income.
– Renewable Energy Integration: Solar-powered irrigation systems offer a clean, sustainable alternative to fuel-dependent pumps, while solar-powered cold storage facilities can drastically reduce post-harvest losses—a major contributor to food insecurity and wasted emissions.
– Sustainable Mechanization: Introducing affordable, climate-friendly machinery reduces the overwhelming dependence on manual labor and increases efficiency, helping farmers manage larger areas or adapt to labor shortages caused by climatic stresses.
Finally, Dr. Imuk connects on-farm action to broader environmental health, emphasizing that preventing deforestation and promoting sustainable land management are non-negotiable. Forests act as critical water catchments and carbon sinks; their preservation is intrinsically linked to stable agricultural climates.
In essence, the call for climate-smart practices is a call for a strategic national overhaul. It is about building an agricultural system that is not only productive but also adaptive, sustainable, and equitable. The integration of improved seeds, smart policy, digital innovation, and clean energy presents a viable pathway to secure Nigeria’s food future in the face of a changing climate. The time for coordinated action, as Dr. Imuk urges, is now.
SET/EEI/JPE
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Edited by Esenvosa Izah/Joseph Edeh
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