Nigeria, June 14 -- To verify the claims of reduced rainfall in Nasarawa by the female farmers, PREMIUM TIMES on May 4 requested from NiMet data on rainfall pattern in the North Central region between 2015 and 2020.

But the Director of Applied Meteorological Services of NiMet, Yusuf Mailadi, said the agency does not give out data because it is its "only source of revenue," but it would release it to the reporter because she was "working for public interest."

"You can get that (data) but it will not tell you much. We will give you the patterns. Can you just write in follow up to this letter, can I have an interview with the DG."

On May 26, an official of the agency's legal department, Nwogo Udeozo, sent infographics of the data but not ...