The recently concluded five-day capacity-building workshop on the SARRA-H&O Model has brought together agricultural experts from English-speaking African countries, who have pledged to enhance partnerships, improve collaboration, and refine strategies to boost food production across the continent.
Organized by the AGRHYMET Regional Centre/CILSS in collaboration with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the workshop was held at the Elomaz Hotel, Garki, Abuja. The event culminated in a closing ceremony where Dr. James Adamu, PhD, Assistant General Manager of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), underscored the significance of crop modeling. Dr. Adamu encouraged participants to engage in national discussions, share data, and ensure that the benefits of their findings are maximized in their respective countries.
Dr. Adamu highlighted the necessity of collaboration, urging participants not to work in isolation but to communicate, share data, and sustain the workshop’s momentum. His sentiments were echoed by Mr. Traore S. Martial, Representative of AGRHYMET/CILSS, who praised the participants for their dedication and stressed the importance of understanding regional perspectives and risk management strategies.
Participants, including Joseph Kailifineh, Acting Deputy Director at Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and Esther Ladan, Statistician at Nigeria’s National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), expressed their gratitude to AGRHYMET for the training. They committed to applying the knowledge gained to enhance food security in their countries.
The workshop underscored the crucial role of regional collaboration, the SARRA-H&O Model, and the importance of data sharing in agricultural success. Participants committed to sharing knowledge to ensure the workshop’s impact is far-reaching.
AGRHYMET has long been recognized as a center of excellence in various domains including agrometeorology, hydrology, agricultural statistics, and natural resource management. This workshop is another testament to its ongoing efforts to improve food production and security across the Sahel and beyond.
