The Innovation Lab for Policy Leadership in Agriculture and Food Security (PiLAF) convened a dynamic training session on the Africa Agriculture Adaptation (AAA Atlas), equipping 33 postgraduate students from the University of Ibadan with the skills to access and utilize climate adaptation data for agricultural research and policy-making. The training that held at the Board Room of the Faculty of Agriculture on June 5th, 2025, brought together a mix of students from Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Forest Production and Products, Animal Science, Soil Resources Management, Social and Environmental Forestry, Crop and Horticultural Sciences and Geography. With growing climate threats to agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, the training was timely and relevant, focusing on how researchers can use data to drive impactful change.

Navigating the AAA Atlas: A Gateway to Climate Adaptation Insights

Mr. Oladele Osanyinlusi kicked off the first session with an in-depth walk-through of the AAA website. He guided participants through the user-friendly interface, illustrating how the platform provides access to open-source data on climate risks, adaptive practices, and policy responses.

Some of the standout features participants explored include:

• Interactive maps and visualizations on climate risk and adaptation.
• Access to datasets for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
• User-generated content, allowing users to upload datasets and contribute insights.
• Bilingual support for both English and French users.

From identifying heat stress on crops to understanding past and projected climate impacts, participants gained hands-on experience navigating the platform and extracting valuable insights.

Exploring Gender and Climate Vulnerability

In the second session, Dr. Nathaniel Siji led an engaging discussion on the gender dimensions of climate risk. Using data on women’s participation in agriculture across countries like Angola, Malawi, and Nigeria, attendees explored how climate hazards impact different groups unequally and why inclusive adaptation design is critical. The session sparked thoughtful conversations about regional differences, the importance of disaggregated data, and how insights from the platform can inform more inclusive policies.

Collaboration and Research Development

To foster collaboration, Mr. Iredele Ogunbayo grouped participants into eight diverse teams, ensuring gender balance and interdisciplinary representation. Dr. Ore Akano introduced PiLAF’s Graduate Research Mentorship Program (GRMP), encouraging students to take their learning further through guided research and peer support under reputable mentors. The groups later brainstormed and pitched research ideas using data from the Atlas—laying the foundation for future academic and policy contributions.

Diving Deeper into Risk, Livestock, and Economic Analysis

The training continued with expert-led sessions including:

• Evaluating Climate Risks with Dr. Benjamin Oyelami, covering hazard identification and adaptive capacity analysis.
• Livestock Investment Strategies with Mr. Oladele Osanyinlusi, examining how climate data informs animal production decisions.
• Economic Returns on Adaptation, where participants learned to quantify the benefits of climate-smart practices.

Projections for 2050: Future-Proofing Our Food Systems

Dr. Ore Akano returned to guide participants through future food production scenarios, drawing attention to data sources and projections available on the platform. This was followed by an eye-opening session from Miss Peace Aburime, who demonstrated how to use the site to analyze trends in heat stress and agricultural population from 2005 to projections for 2050. She emphasized the urgent need for location-specific adaptation strategies and showcased how data can guide smarter agricultural investments.

A Call to Action

The training ended on a high note with a charge from Dr. Benjamin Oyelami: “Explore the Atlas. Engage with your group. Let’s shape the future of food and climate in Africa—together.”

Participants left the session inspired, informed, and equipped to integrate the AAA Atlas into their research and advocacy. Many shared their experiences on social media, further amplifying the reach and relevance of the training.

As we anticipate follow-up sessions in the coming weeks, PiLAF remains committed to building a new generation of data-driven, climate-smart researchers across Africa.