Researchers and stakeholders have urged policy reforms to improve climate resilience and food security for rural communities in Kwara State. The call emerged from a policy dialogue titled 'Strengthening Climate Resilience, Food Systems, and Livelihood Security in Kwara State through Evidence-Informed Policy Action', which focused on translating research into action for vulnerable populations. Professor Andrew Onwuemele, lead researcher at the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in Ibadan, presented findings from the PALM-TREEs Project, highlighting increasing threats from droughts, flooding, declining agricultural productivity, and weak climate information systems.
Onwuemele identified two main causes of flooding in Kwara: overflow from the River Niger and the uncoordinated release of excess water from Kanji Dam and Jebba Dam. He recommended forming a committee to coordinate dam water releases and issuing advance warnings to communities. Staggered releases over weeks, rather than all at once, would reduce flood impact, he said. He also noted that despite regular climate updates from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), many farmers lack access to early warning information.
To close the gap, Onwuemele proposed that NIMET and Kwara's Ministry of Environment collaborate to disseminate forecasts in local languages and digital formats, using extension agents and community radio. Stakeholders endorsed a coordinated climate risk governance framework, expansion of climate-smart agriculture, improved irrigation, stronger extension services, and increased investment in resilient water and food systems. Participants affirmed the policy recommendations and stressed the importance of institutional coordination and evidence-based decision-making for sustainable development in the state.
Professor Onwuemele points to poor communication in dam water releases while also admitting NIMET's warnings aren't reaching farmers, exposing a systemic failure in information delivery. The same agencies meant to protect rural livelihoods are operating in silos despite producing data that never reaches those most at risk. If warnings from both dams and NIMET are not being relayed to communities in understandable formats, then the current system is not just inefficient—it is functionally disconnected from the people it should serve.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
