The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project in Abia State, in collaboration with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has sensitised farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to the 2026 seasonal climate prediction and its implications for various agricultural commodities.
The programme took place on Wednesday in Umuahia, drawing participants from registered enterprises across ten local government areas and 100 communities where the project operates.
The state project coordinator, Uchenna Onyeizu, described the session as a step-down exercise to educate farmers on appropriate planting windows per local government area, based on the climate forecast. Represented by the state agribusiness promotion officer, Godwin Chukwuekezie, Mr Onyeizu stressed the need for farmers to know when to commence and end farming activities, including how many crop cycles they can run within the available window period.
He noted that the training was equally vital for livestock farmers to understand weather patterns and adopt measures to protect their stock during extreme heat. Desk officers, he added, would further mainstream the awareness to the LGAs and LIFE-ND incubators, as the information is needed at every level.
While commending NiMet for the collaboration, Mr Onyeizu expressed concern over the late release of the farming calendar. He urged the agency to publish the information early to prevent poor farming decisions, and called on the state government to support training and sensitisation efforts. He observed that approximately 70 per cent of Abia residents are farmers who need such data to boost the state’s food basket.
Speaking separately, the Environment and Climate Change Specialist for LIFE-ND, Chidozie Kanu, said the exercise was organised to ensure beneficiary farmers understand the 2026 onset and cessation dates – onset referring to the start of rainfall, and cessation marking the normal end of the rains. He said LIFE-ND collaborates with institutions such as NiMet to downscale climate information to beneficiaries.
Mr Kanu commended NiMet for improving the timing of this year’s release compared with previous years, but urged the agency to do better, arguing that the prediction should be published by February of each year at the latest.
A poultry farmer from Abayi Ohanze in Obingwa LGA, Chika Macdonald, who participated in the exercise, thanked the organisers for the insights, saying she had gained valuable knowledge to improve her livestock and crop production.
LIFE-ND is an initiative of the federal government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Niger Delta Development Commission. It targets poverty reduction, job creation, sustainable income and food sufficiency across the nine Niger Delta states.
