Health
Ekiti to boost livestock production, food security with three agro-meteorological stations
Abiodun Nejo
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the installation of three agro-meteorological stations across the state, as part of efforts to strengthen climate-smart livestock production and agricultural resilience.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said the project, under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, marked another milestone in the Oyebanji administration’s drive to deploy technology and innovation to transform the agricultural sector.
The L-PRES project, a World Bank-supported initiative, aims to improve livestock productivity and build resilience to climate change among stakeholders in the livestock value chain across Nigeria.
Boluwade, in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, said the stations would be located at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Complex, Ado Ekiti; the State Agricultural Development Programme Complex, Ikole Ekiti; and the Faculty of Agriculture, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti.
He said the approval of the BOUESTI location completed the strategic distribution of the three stations across the state’s major agro-ecological zones — Savannah, Derived Savannah and Forest — to ensure wider coverage for climate observation, agricultural planning and research.
“The stations will provide real-time data on rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and other critical weather conditions. The data generated from the stations will give livestock farmers, extension officers, veterinary professionals, researchers and policymakers reliable climate intelligence to support livestock production, pasture management, water resource use, disease surveillance and climate risk management.
“The stations will also strengthen Ekiti’s early warning system for extreme weather events, enabling proactive responses to climate-related challenges, improved evidence-based planning and enhanced productivity across the livestock and agricultural sectors,” he said.
Boluwade said the initiative reflected Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to sustainable agricultural development through innovation, technology and data-driven solutions.
He added that the project aligned with the broader objectives of L-PRES to improve livestock productivity, build climate resilience and promote sustainable livestock development.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the project would boost food security, improve livelihoods across the livestock value chain and position Ekiti as a leading state in climate-smart agriculture.
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