The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, has called for insurance coverage for Nigerian farmers to strengthen food security.
Prof. Anosike made the call when a delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) paid a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Tuesday, 3rd September 2024. He appreciated the delegation for recognizing the role that NiMet plays in the agricultural value-chain and the other sectors, and for seeking the agency’s partnership in organizing the forthcoming Agricultural Insurance and Weather Advisory Services Roundtable themed, "Creating Last-mile Structures for Agricultural Insurance & Weather Advisory Services- A Risk Mitigation and Resilience measure for Smallholder Farmers."
The NiMet DG/CEO urged the USAID team to also extend an invitation to the financial sector. He said, “NiMet does a lot of work in early warnings. When we talk about insurance or early warnings, it's not just about the productivity of farmers. It's also about saving lives. Lives have already been lost in the 2024 flood. Let’s keep in mind that early warnings save lives. When financial institutions talk about risk management, they focus on shareholder value. If we're able to get the financial sector in the room for them to begin to integrate climate risk into their operations and risk management, we'll be able to convince them. This can help us to achieve the agricultural insurance scheme for farmers”.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, Dr. Ben Odoemena, Chief of Party, Extension Activity of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and leader of the delegation thanked Professor Anosike for granting the team audience. He said, “Our mission is to seek collaboration with NiMet, and the agency’s participation in the roundtable. The essence of the workshop is to bring the theme to the fore of key stakeholders, in the agricultural sector, insurance sector, financial sector, etc.
Prof. Anosike made the call when a delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) paid a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Tuesday, 3rd September 2024. He appreciated the delegation for recognizing the role that NiMet plays in the agricultural value-chain and the other sectors, and for seeking the agency’s partnership in organizing the forthcoming Agricultural Insurance and Weather Advisory Services Roundtable themed, "Creating Last-mile Structures for Agricultural Insurance & Weather Advisory Services- A Risk Mitigation and Resilience measure for Smallholder Farmers."
The NiMet DG/CEO urged the USAID team to also extend an invitation to the financial sector. He said, “NiMet does a lot of work in early warnings. When we talk about insurance or early warnings, it's not just about the productivity of farmers. It's also about saving lives. Lives have already been lost in the 2024 flood. Let’s keep in mind that early warnings save lives. When financial institutions talk about risk management, they focus on shareholder value. If we're able to get the financial sector in the room for them to begin to integrate climate risk into their operations and risk management, we'll be able to convince them. This can help us to achieve the agricultural insurance scheme for farmers”.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, Dr. Ben Odoemena, Chief of Party, Extension Activity of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and leader of the delegation thanked Professor Anosike for granting the team audience. He said, “Our mission is to seek collaboration with NiMet, and the agency’s participation in the roundtable. The essence of the workshop is to bring the theme to the fore of key stakeholders, in the agricultural sector, insurance sector, financial sector, etc.