{"id":1232,"date":"2026-08-19T08:18:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.lossanddamageobservatory.org\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2026-08-19T08:18:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:18:36","slug":"from-nigerias-fields-to-global-climate-conversations-what-mentoring-loss-and-damage-scholars-taught-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.lossanddamageobservatory.org\/index.php\/2026\/08\/19\/from-nigerias-fields-to-global-climate-conversations-what-mentoring-loss-and-damage-scholars-taught-me\/","title":{"rendered":"From Nigeria’s fields to global climate conversations: what mentoring loss and damage scholars taught me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Serving as a mentor for the Saleemul Huq Memorial Research Scholarship Programme was far more than an opportunity to guide emerging researchers. It became a learning journey that sharpened my understanding of loss and damage across different geographies, cultures, and lived experiences. While I was expected to provide technical guidance and mentorship, I was deeply inspired by the scholars’ curiosity, commitment, and fresh perspectives, which reinforced the value of supporting such dedication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A smallholder farmer inspects his maize plot at the start of the season; for millions across Nigeria, climate risk is measured one harvest at a time. Photo: Josiah Matthew via https:\/\/www.pexels.com_photo ID-10697911<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knowledge flows in multiple directions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mentoring experience reinforced one clear insight: knowledge flows in multiple directions, and that exchange sharpened my understanding of climate-induced loss and damage. Every discussion, every draft reviewed, and every reflection shared showed that understanding this issue requires both rigorous research and deep engagement with the realities of affected communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the privilege of mentoring scholars whose research spanned remarkably diverse contexts. From Wilson Lech\u00f3n<\/strong><\/a>‘s work on the evolving landscape of loss and damage in Ecuador to Louriv\u00e2nia Soares Santos<\/strong><\/a>‘s research on the often-overlooked dimensions of food systems and cultural heritage in Brazil’s Semi-Arid region, their work revealed common threads. Although separated by geography, these studies showed that climate change is not only destroying livelihoods and ecosystems but also eroding identities, traditions, and social fabrics that have sustained communities for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mentorship across continents: the Saleemul Huq Memorial Research Scholarship Programme connects early-career scholars from Latin America, Africa and Asia. Image: Loss and Damage Research Observatory.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What loss looks like on a Nigerian farm<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These conversations resonated deeply with my own research and field experience in Nigeria, where their insights echoed what I have seen firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For over sixteen years, my work has centred on supporting smallholder farmers to build resilience to climate variability through research, digital innovation, and community engagement. Across rural communities in Nigeria, I have witnessed firsthand how farmers experience climate change, not as abstract statistics or future projections, but as recurring droughts, unpredictable rainfall, devastating floods, declining soil fertility, and increasing uncertainty around every planting season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One story that has stayed with me is that of Mr Ola<\/strong>, a maize farmer I met during one of our field engagements. Like many smallholder farmers, he had borrowed money from a bank at the beginning of the season to purchase improved seeds, fertiliser, and other inputs, hoping for a successful harvest that would repay the loan and support his family. The rains arrived late, and when they finally came, they stopped far earlier than expected. A prolonged drought followed. Within weeks, nearly his entire maize field had withered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing in the middle of his dried-up farm, Mr Ola quietly told me, “Everything I borrowed is now buried in this field.” He had not only lost his crop; he had lost his investment, his income for the season, and the confidence that he would be able to repay the loan. What appeared to be a failed harvest on paper was, in reality, a cascade of losses affecting his household’s food security, financial stability, and future opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Withered maize after a prolonged dry spell. What appears as a failed harvest on paper is, for the farmer, a cascade of lost income, lost investment and lost confidence. Photo: Dr Toyin Samuel Olowogbon<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That encounter fundamentally shaped my understanding of loss and damage. It reminded me that behind every statistic is a family making impossible choices after climate shocks have exceeded their ability to cope, and that this human reality lies at the heart of the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital climate services, and their limits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experiences like Mr Ola’s motivated much of my subsequent research on climate resilience and digital agriculture, and they also inspired the development of the SOFADRICLIMATE<\/strong> <\/a>platform. This digital climate information service was designed to bridge the gap between seasonal weather forecasts and farmers’ day-to-day decision-making. Working closely with farming communities, we discovered that while most farmers had access to mobile phones, many still lacked timely, understandable, and actionable climate information. Through localised weather advisories and weather index microinsurance, the platform seeks to help farmers make better-informed choices about planting, input use, and other farm management decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Localised weather advisories delivered by mobile phone help farmers decide when to plant, what to plant, and how much to invest. Photo: Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT<\/a>, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yet, even this work reinforced another important lesson: information alone cannot eliminate loss and damage, because the larger challenge is still defined by climate shocks that exceed preparedness and adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate services strengthen preparedness and reduce risk, but they cannot always prevent extreme events whose frequency and intensity continue to increase. Adaptation remains essential, but it has limits. When droughts become prolonged, floods become more destructive, or rainfall patterns become increasingly erratic, even the most prepared farmers can experience irreversible losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losses that statistics miss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mentorship programme reinforced this understanding from another perspective, showing it in broader terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One insight that became increasingly clear through the scholars’ work is that loss and damage extends well beyond measurable economic losses. Their research reminded me that climate change also affects intangible dimensions of human wellbeing: cultural identity, social cohesion, indigenous knowledge, local food traditions, and the sense of belonging communities derive from their landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This perspective mirrors what I have observed in farming communities across Nigeria. Elderly farmers often speak about indigenous crop varieties that are disappearing, seasonal knowledge that no longer aligns with changing weather patterns, and farming traditions that younger generations are gradually abandoning because they no longer guarantee livelihoods. These losses rarely appear in economic statistics, yet they represent profound changes in the cultural fabric of rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indigenous seed varieties and the seasonal knowledge attached to them are disappearing, losses that rarely appear in economic statistics. Photo: Istifanus Sunday Kaigama via Facebook<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Communities as knowledge holders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another lesson reinforced through mentoring was the importance of locally grounded evidence. The scholars consistently demonstrated that meaningful research begins by listening carefully to affected communities rather than imposing external assumptions. Their field experiences echoed a principle that has guided much of my own work: communities are not merely beneficiaries of research; they are knowledge holders and partners in generating solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether evaluating agricultural innovations, co-designing digital climate services, or assessing resilience interventions, I have found that the most effective solutions emerge when farmers themselves shape the questions, priorities, and pathways for action. Their lived experiences often reveal dimensions of loss and resilience that conventional datasets fail to capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Community consultations shape the questions, priorities and pathways of resilience research. Photo: ZEUS THE CREATOR, via https:\/\/www.pexels.com<\/em> -14314173<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many lenses, one picture<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mentorship experience also strengthened my appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches to loss and damage. Economists, social scientists, climate scientists, anthropologists, and policy practitioners each contribute unique perspectives, but no single discipline can fully capture the complexity of climate impacts. The scholars demonstrated how combining qualitative narratives with quantitative evidence can produce richer and more policy-relevant insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the programme was witnessing the commitment of early-career researchers to advancing this emerging field. Their work reflected not only strong academic rigour but also genuine empathy for the communities whose stories they sought to understand and amplify. This gives me hope that the next generation of researchers will continue to bridge the gap between science, policy, and lived realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, mentoring the Saleemul Huq Scholars was not simply about transferring knowledge. It was about participating in a global community of learning committed to advancing climate justice. The programme reaffirmed that while climate impacts are experienced locally, the lessons they offer are globally relevant, and they connect directly to the need for action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As climate-related loss and damage continues to intensify, research must move beyond documenting impacts and toward informing equitable, context-specific, and community-centred responses. This requires investing in local researchers, strengthening partnerships across regions, ensuring the voices of those living on the frontlines of climate change remain central to policy discussions, and turning evidence into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, the journey from mentoring scholars from Ecuador and Brazil to reflecting on the experiences of smallholder farmers in Nigeria has reinforced one enduring lesson: resilience is built through people, partnerships, and shared learning. Every conversation across continents reminded me that although our contexts differ, our commitment remains the same\u2014to generate knowledge that supports communities facing the realities of climate change with dignity, evidence, and hope. This experience leaves me more convinced than ever that mentoring, research, and community engagement must continue to work together to strengthen climate justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Resilience is built through people, partnerships and shared learning, across continents; the commitment remains the same. Photo:vr visualrepo via https:\/\/www.pexels.com_29803637<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This programme reminds us that those most affected by climate change must also be at the centre of climate solutions. I continue with this mentorship programme with renewed optimism, not only because of what I was able to contribute, but because of what I learned from the scholars, from the communities they worked with, and from the countless farmers whose resilience keeps inspiring the pursuit of climate justice. The most important lesson I carry forward is simple: lasting responses must be shaped with, and for, the people living these realities every day.<\/p>\n\n\n

Author<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Dr Toyin Samuel Olowogbon<\/strong> is a Development Economist and Research Fellow at the Institute for Food Security and Commercial Agriculture (IFSCA), Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. His research focuses on climate change adaptation, loss and damage, digital agriculture, agricultural finance, and food systems resilience. With over 16 years of experience working with smallholder farmers across Nigeria, he combines rigorous research with practical, community-driven solutions to strengthen climate resilience. Dr Olowogbon is also a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at MIGAL Galilee Research Institute and Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona, Israel, a Global Council Member of the World Agriculture Forum, and has served as a mentor in the Saleemul Huq Memorial Research Scholarship Programme, supporting early-career researchers advancing climate justice and loss and damage research. Read more about him here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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