On Friday, January 24, 2025, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nigeria’s leading telecommunications provider, MTN and advanced weather intelligence company Tomorrow.io.
This partnership aims to develop a Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) system that will deliver location-specific, actionable weather advisories to Nigerian farmers via mobile SMS.
This partnership aligns with the United Nations (UN) goal of establishing early warning systems for all and aims to strengthen climate resilience in Nigeria, particularly within the agricultural sector.
During the MoU signing at NiMet Headquarters in Abuja, the director-general of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike emphasised that the primary goal of the collaboration is to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience by providing localised, timely weather advisories. He noted that this initiative supports the food security agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Anosike highlighted the strategic choice of MTN and Tomorrow.io as partners due to their leadership in their respective fields. “I am thrilled to welcome MTN CEO Karl Toriola and officials Shoyinka Shodunke (chief information officer) and Tobechukwu Okigbo (chief corporate services and sustainability officer), along with the Tomorrow.io team, to NiMet for this groundbreaking MoU signing that will benefit not only the agricultural sector but the entire Nigerian economy. My main objective has been to open up the field of climate science to the private sector, so they can begin to appreciate its significant impact,” he stated.
In response, MTN CEO, Karl Toriola expressed the company’s commitment to supporting government agencies and the Nigerian public. “I am optimistic about what this partnership with NiMet and Tomorrow.io will achieve for the agricultural sector, as well as for emergency management, disaster response, and the Nigerian economy as a whole. We are genuinely grateful to NiMet for this opportunity.”
Managing director of Tomorrow.io, Dr. Henry Onyemachi thanked Anosike for his strong leadership in facilitating the signing of the MoU. “For us at Tomorrow.io, this is a significant moment that reflects the focused journey we began a year ago. This impactful project addresses the food security issues highlighted by President Bola Tinubu,” he remarked.
Under the terms of the MoU, the parties will collaborate on the development, deployment and testing of the DCAS platform, which will provide weather-based advisories to farmers through SMS notifications.
