Climate Change Deepens Farming Hardship as Women Farmers Demand Early Weather Alerts from NiMet
By Ugonma Ewa
Climate change is worsening farming conditions across Ebonyi the Southeast, with long dry spells and intense heat destroying crops and threatening food security.
Many smallholder women farmers say this year’s weather pattern was the most unpredictable yet, leaving their fields scorched before the rains finally arrived.
In Ebonyi and neighbouring states, yields of rice, maize, vegetables, and legumes have dropped sharply. For women who farm small plots to support their families, the losses mean reduced income and rising hunger in rural households.
Raising concern over the situation, Okwo Andreina, Coordinator of Smallholder Women Farmers in Ebonyi State, said farmers can no longer rely on traditional planting calendars. She spoke during a town hall meeting in Abakaliki, noting that “the sun destroyed most of our crops this year,” and calling for stronger support from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Andreina said timely and accurate weather forecasts are now critical for farmers’ survival. Without proper guidance from NiMet, she warned, women will continue to plant at the wrong time and lose entire harvests.
Beyond climate challenges, the farmers are also demanding access to land, credit facilities, and extension services. Many women remain unable to own land, limiting their ability to scale up production or benefit from government programmes.
Supporting these efforts, the Participatory Development Alternatives (PDA) says it is working to improve food security through the SPAC–West Africa project, funded by ActionAid. The initiative promotes agroecological farming and has trained thousands of women and youths to adapt to extreme weather conditions.
The project has also established more than 200 model agroecological farms across communities, helping women learn climate-smart methods, preserve indigenous seeds, and strengthen market access. PDA says these interventions are improving resilience and restoring productivity.
Despite the gains, women farmers insist that government involvement especially in delivering early climate information remains vital. They warn that without accurate weather services, the threat of food shortages could grow even more severe in the coming years.
