The Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, has called for stronger collaboration and investment in weather and climate services to safeguard lives and boost socio-economic resilience as climate risks intensify.
Speaking at NiMet’s first-ever Stakeholders’ Forum in Lagos, with the theme, “Early Warnings: Raising Awareness on Climate Risks and Promoting Early Action”, Prof Anosike said the Agency faces growing challenges in ensuring its forecasts and climate information reach the wider public in a way that is easily understood and applied.
He stressed that while NiMet has invested heavily in modernizing infrastructure, adopting digital tools, and expanding its services to aviation, agriculture and marine.
Others are, health and disaster management, limited resources and cost recovery constraints remain a concern.
“Despite these limitations, we have never compromised on service quality”.
The NiMET DG assured that NiMet is pushing to convert its scientific outputs into impactful, revenue-generating services.
Prof. Anosike highlighted efforts such as the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), which helps farmers and policymakers plan ahead; the deployment of electronic flight folders to enhance aviation safety; and partnerships with global and local organisations to expand digital climate advisory services.
He also pointed to growing collaborations with emergency agencies to reduce disaster risks and with marine bodies to support the blue economy.
According to him, NiMet’s progress is underpinned by strong government support and stakeholder partnerships, but sustaining these achievements requires “continuous investment and active participation” from all sectors.
He warned that early warnings must go beyond forecasts to inspire decisive action in the face of extreme weather events that increasingly threaten lives and livelihoods.
“The reality is that government subvention alone can no longer sustain the growing demand for weather and climate services. We need broader partnerships and stronger cost recovery mechanisms to scale up”.
The DG urged stakeholders to engage actively in the two-day forum, stressing that their feedback would be vital to improving NiMet’s services and strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to build a climate-resilient future.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen