NiMet to Share Experience of Recovering, Digitising 130-year-old Weather Data, Says DG

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), on Monday disclosed that it is recovering and digitising Nigeria’s 130 years old weather data for the proper history of Nigeria’s weather patterns.

NiMet noted that the 130 years old data it is recovering and digitising and after rescuing the data, they would be share their experiences.

The Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, stated this in Abuja when he hosted a delegation from the National Meteorological Services of Niger Republic and the Gambia National Meteorological Services. Both delegations are in Nigeria for a ten-day study exchange at NiMet.

He said the 130 -year-old mining capability is also what the visitors would also understudy in the course of their visit.

The DG of NiMet explained that the mission of the delegation. He said: “The two delegations on study exchange to NiMet are exploring different areas of interest.

For the Niger Republic, what is critical for them is the seasonal climate prediction that Nigeria has been implementing for the past 15 years. We will do a lot of exchange and sharing of experience from seasonal climate prediction as well as numeric weather prediction.”

According to him, NiMet has a robust numeric weather prediction that is capable of providing some of these exchanges of ideas and innovations to the team, adding that the issue of climate change– both impact, vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation are areas NiMet has a robust capability to share.

“Just recently, NiMet commissioned research across the eco-climatic zones of the country. Also, the minister will on Tuesday unveil the seasonal climate prediction and also a book published by NiMet on impacts, vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation strategies in Nigeria.

“It is what we also want to share our experiences with the Niger Team. Also, infrastructure and database management. Nigeria is a wide country and we have more than 100 offices and managing these facilities is critical, with the support of the government, we have priorities for infrastructure development across the country” and the team will also look at what we have he said,” Matazu concluded.

Similarly, the National Director of Meteorology Services of Niger, Mr. Lawan Katiellou Gaptia, said that Nigeria and Nigeria are twin countries, so it’s easier for Niger to come to Nigeria than go anywhere else in the world.

He also advocated for more cooperation among African countries, stating: “in Africa, we have to change the way we do things. Rather than always resort to the northern countries, we can develop South-South cooperation. Nigeria is more advanced than Niger in all the fields and Nigeria has more resources,” hence this study visit he said.

“In Niger, we are in the process of modernising our meteorological services. We are also having a new weather prediction model and we are establishing eight meteorology regions.”

Gaptia said that the study tour would help them with the needed facilities they are building.