A food value chain expert, Professor Chijioke Maduka Osuji, has called for urgent and coordinated action by government, farmers and other stakeholders to mitigate the impact of rapidly changing weather patterns on agriculture and avert food insecurity in Nigeria.
Professor Osuji made the call during a media chat with Radio Nigeria in Lagos, stressing that sustained investment in agricultural research, timely dissemination of weather-related information, identification of suitable crops, revival of extension services and capacity building of farmers on climate-smart practices are now critical.
The professor, a past National President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) who teaches in the Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, Imo State, warned that the increasing unreliability of weather conditions—marked by prolonged rainfall, delayed onset of the dry season and weak harmattan—poses serious threats to food production and storage in the different agroecological zones of the country.
According to him, Nigeria’s agriculture remains largely rainfall-dependent, making it highly vulnerable to both excess rainfall and drought. He noted that prolonged rainfall could negatively affect tuber crops, tree crops but quite suitable for some and some cereal crops lime rice. It could also disrupt honey and fruit production.
“When heavy rains wash away flowers in the wild, bees lose access to nectar. This reduces honey production and affects pollination, which in turn lowers fruit yields,” Osuji explained.
He attributed the unusual weather patterns to broader climate change impacts, including increased flooding, occasional drought and unpredictable rainfall, particularly in southern and coastal parts of the country where rainfall has extended into January.
“Agriculture in Nigeria is not just rainfall-dependent, but rainfall-pattern dependent. Different crops require different rainfall conditions. Rice thrives in abundant water, yam prefers intermittent rainfall, while many tree crops do not tolerate rain during flowering because it washes away blossoms. Sustained changes in rainfall patterns will therefore affect yields across crop types,” he said.
Professor Osuji also highlighted the less-discussed effects of excessive rainfall on soil health, especially in hilly or sloping areas.
“Extended rainfall leads to nutrient leaching as water continues to move through the soil even after the rains stop. Nutrients are washed downhill into rivers, leaving farmlands less fertile and reducing crop performance,” he noted.
Beyond farming, he said excess rainfall also disrupts agro-processing and industries that depend on farm produce, underscoring the need for proactive planning.
He called for robust government interventions, developed in collaboration with experts, to deploy climate-smart agricultural solutions. These include short-, medium- and long-term irrigation planning, improved water-management systems, access to crop dryers in high-rainfall areas to reduce dependence on sun drying of food crops and the use of reliable weather forecasting technologies.
On the role of farmers, Osuji said adapting to climate change may require shifting to more resilient crops, investing in irrigation and water-control structures, and adopting climate-smart systems such as screened house farming. However, he stressed that farmers cannot do this alone.
“The agricultural extension service system in Nigeria is collapsing. Since the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) stopped receiving World Bank funding, many states have failed to adequately support them. Trained extension officers are retiring, and these are the professionals who should be guiding farmers at the grassroots on how to adapt to changing conditions,” he said.
He warned that post-harvest losses could increase if urgent steps are not taken, especially as traditional sun-drying methods become unreliable due to reduced sunshine and weak harmattan.
“With less sunshine and shorter harmattan periods, crop harvests that depend on sun-drying are at higher risk of spoilage. Experts must work with government to design effective interventions, and government must respond decisively to protect farmers and ensure national food security,” Professor Osuji added.
He concluded that addressing climate-related agricultural challenges requires collective responsibility, with government, farmers and stakeholders working together to build a resilient and sustainable food system for the country.
Reporting By Innocent Onoh