Pierre C. Sibiry Traore, Senior Scientist in Digital Agriculture at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), paid a courtesy visit to the Centre for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CCSA), Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, following his leadership of the Consultative Workshop on Climate Services for Youth (CS4Y) held in Abuja from 28 to 30 October 2025.

Mr. Sibiry was accompanied by Dr. Hakeem Ayinde of the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University, Kano (BUK). The visit provided a platform for technical discussions on enhancing digital climate services, youth engagement, and data-driven agricultural transformation in Nigeria. CCSA had been invited to participate in the workshop.

The CS4Y workshop, organised by ILRI in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), brought together stakeholders from government, research institutions, agribusinesses, financial service providers, youth networks, and development partners. The event focused on strengthening system linkages for harmonised digital climate advisory services and creating employment opportunities for youth in agriculture and food systems.

CCSA was represented at the workshop by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), reflecting the Centre’s commitment to advancing Climate Information Services (CIS), digital public infrastructure, and youth-focused climate solutions in Nigeria.

Key objectives of the workshop included mapping Nigeria’s Climate Information Services ecosystem, developing business cases across agricultural value chains, and identifying capacity development needs to improve the quality and accessibility of climate information.

During the courtesy visit to CCSA, discussions centred on potential collaboration in digital agriculture, climate data systems, innovation for youth employment, and scalable climate advisory platforms to support farmers and agribusinesses nationwide.

The engagement underscores CCSA’s growing role as a national hub for climate-smart innovation and strategic partnerships aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural and food systems through technology, data, and youth empowerment.