NiMet Restates Commitment to Re-position WMO Regional Training School

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, has reiterated his commitment to re-position the World Meteorological Regional Training School in Lagos in compliance with World Meteorological Oganization standards.

Mashi, in a statement made available to THISDAY, noted that he also pledged Nigeria’s continuous support for World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) activities and programmes in the region.
The DG/CEO made this assertion during his maiden visit to the WMO Sub –regional Office in Abuja.
According to him, NiMet, which hosts the WMO Regional Training School in Lagos, has the capacity and wherewithal to run the institute and reiterated his commitment to re-positioning the school in compliance with WMO standards.
Mashi, who is Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to WMO, appreciated the global body for its recognition of NiMet’s contribution to the development of meteorology especially in the area of manpower development and support to other countries in the region.
Earlier in his welcome address, the WMO Representative for North, Central and West Africa, Mr. Benard Gomez praised Nigeria’s leading role in the development of meteorology in the region.
He noted how NiMet facilitates the provision of weather forecast for Sierr-Lone and Liberia since the devastating outbreak of Ebola, and the hosting of the WMO Regional Training School in Oshodi.
Gomez stressed the importance of having experts in the field of meteorology especially in these days of Climate Change and extreme weather events, which the training school facilitates in the region.
He further expressed WMO’s gratitude to the Federal Government for the great support and high level of ownership of meteorological programmes in the region and emphasized the need for continuous exchange of ideas between the two organisations to promote WMO ideals in the region.