Food security: Oyebanji approves installation of three agro-meteorological stations in Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the installation of three Agro-Meteorological Stations across the State under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at strengthening climate-smart livestock production and agricultural resilience.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, described the governor’s decision as another milestone in the administration’s efforts to deploy technology and innovation to transform the agricultural sector.

Boluwade said the three stations would be sited at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Complex, Ado-Ekiti; the State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Complex, Ikole-Ekiti; and the Faculty of Agriculture, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Ikere-Ekiti.

He explained that 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.

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The stations, he said, will provide real-time data on rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and other critical weather conditions.

He added that data generated from the stations would 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.

Boluwade explained that the stations would 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: “The initiative reflected Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to sustainable agricultural development through innovation, technology and data-driven solutions and aligned with L-PRES’s broader objectives of improving livestock productivity, building climate resilience and promoting sustainable livestock development.

“The project would boost food security, improve livelihoods for actors across the livestock value chain, and position Ekiti as a leading state in climate-smart agriculture.

“The L-PRES project, backed by the World Bank, aims to improve livestock productivity and build resilience to climate change among livestock value chain stakeholders across Nigeria.”

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