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By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Women Environmental Programme (WEP), an Abuja based non-governmental organisation, on Thursday, launched Farm Beta Radio Programme geared towards communicating early warning climate information and providing sustainable agriculture education to farmers.
The programme held virtually, was launched by the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Benue State, Mr Odoh Ugwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Akaa Nyam Thomas.
The Founder and Global President of WEP, Dr. Priscilla Achakpa and the Programme Manager, WomenPower2030 Project, Auvi Priodarsine from Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), welcomed and appreciated all the participants for attending the launch of the Farm Beta Radio, an initiative under the WomenPower2030: Feminist Accelerate Actions for Sustainable Development; a project supported by the European Union and implemented by a consortium of 5 women’s organizations with WECF as the lead.
According to them, the Farm Beta Radio was in line with the goal of the WomenPower2030 project of strengthening capacity of women’s and feminist civil society networks and organizations to fight inequalities and advance gender-equal sustainable development.
Auvi Priodarsine described the Farm Beta Radio as “a lifeline for communities facing the dual challenges of climate change and agricultural vulnerability.”
On his part, the Director, Applied Meteorological Services at the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Mrs Glory Onyegbule, applauded WEP for the innovative initiative, arguing that it would reach farmers with agrometeorological information through the radio.
She said the Radio remains best way to reach farmers with useful climate information “as about 83.4% of Nigerian households have a working radio, while over 50% of rural farmers have daily access to radio sets.”
She called on other stakeholders to do the same to reduce climate change impacts on agriculture and expressed the readiness of NiMet to partner with relevant stakeholders to disseminate early warning climate information from the different meteorological products that NiMet has.
Also speaking, the Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Abiola Awe, described the Farm Beta Radio as “a groundbreaking initiative that speaks to the heart of sustainable development in Nigeria.”
On her part, Professor Chinwe Obuaku, Consultant to the Government of Osun State on Climate Change and Renewable Energy, represented by Mr Sola Ishola, Special Assistant on Media to the Osun State Governor, emphasised that the programme would empower rural and women farmers with critical early warning climate information and sustainable agricultural education.
"It represents a major step forward in addressing the intersection of agriculture and climate change," she noted.
The Farm Beta Radio programme aims to improve agricultural productivity especially of rural and women farmers, by providing climate information that helps in averting climate risk on agriculture and providing sustainable and climate-smart agriculture education to farmers.
Farm Beta Radio is currently hosted by the following radio stations from the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria: North-East: Albarka Radio, 97.5FM, Bauchi - Fridays, 10am, On Gatarin Gwari programme
North-West: Salama Radio, 98.1 FM, Kafanchan – Tuesdays, 9:30 am
North-Central: Agate Radio, 95.5 Star FM, Makurdi – Thursdays, 5:30 pm
South-South: 88.1 Super FM, Benin – Thursdays, 6:30 pm
South-West: Women Radio, 91.7 FM, Ogun State – Mondays, 5 pm
South-East: Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporations (EBC) 98.1 FM, Abakaliki – Sundays, 7:30 pm.
The event had in attendance federal and state government agencies, civil society organizations, farming groups and the media.