Context
Studies have shown that an estimated 50-75% of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Yobe states are affected by rapidly rising desertification (Azare, 2020). The same study also highlights that Nigeria is losing over 350,000 hectares of arable land yearly because of climate change-induced desertification.
Farmers in Northwest Nigeria lack effective access to climate change information because there is an existing gap between the innovative climate change adaptation contributions from the internet and research institutes and the end user farmers. These innovative contributions do not get to the farmer (end users) in a form that is appropriate either in terms of communication media and/or language. The lack of access to climate change information and the conservative mindset they harbor towards innovation means that these farmers continue to lose a significant portion of their farmlands due to floods and heavy rainfalls, which worsens the already fragile food security within the region.
CTCN Support
The overall objective of this technical assistance will be to pilot the RANET (Radio Internet System) in Kebbi State, Nigeria. RANET is a unique exploitation of the Radio and Internet to afford rural communities the opportunity to leverage technology and radio, which has widespread use in rural communities to build the resilience of smallholder agricultural practitioners, promote wider use of agrometeorological services to improve data availability, climate forecasting, early warning, adaptation planning and decision making in the agricultural sector for the Kebbi State in Nigeria. In the medium and long term, this project aims to reduce climate risks in agricultural production, thereby improving food supply and livelihood security.
The specific objectives of this technical assistance are as follows:
● Understand existing meteorological and climatologic equipment used by NMA and available in Kebbi State, Nigeria.
● Define the needs of the local farmers of Kebbi State as well as the expectations of the Federal Ministry of Environment and NMA.
● Benchmark possible technologies that could be used to support the deployment of the RANET and identify possible barriers, challenges
● Define, select, design, and implement in Kebbi State a "weather and climate information service system" to support decision-making for the agricultural sector using RANET (or similar technology)
● Ensure that information on future weather conditions is relevant and timely to support strategic and tactical crop management decisions.
● Ensure capacity building for both system administrators and system users.
Expected Impact
This Technical Assistance will test the technology in Nigeria to identify whether it can support the transmission of climate-related data from urban to rural areas and thus increase the resilience of local farmers. Should the project be successful, this technology could be scaled up, and have an impact on food security as well as climate change resilience in Nigeria.
Seeking Experts
The UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is inviting its Network members to assist Nigeria. Interested qualified firms are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the upcoming solicitation for the implementation of harnessing the combined potential of Radio and Internet to enhance agricultural resilience in rural Kebbi State, Northwestern Nigeria. Please refer to the detailed documents here. In case you are not a CTCN network member yet, you may still apply here.