NIMET: Collaboration Key to Service Delivery, Contribution to Economy

Chinedu Eze

Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) is a multi-purpose organization that provides critical services to different sectors of the economy. It provides accurate weather reports for the aviation industry in order to ensure safe flight operations.

It also provides weather reports in the maritime industry, averts tragedies during natural disasters by pre-empting such phenomenon before they take place. NIMET plays invaluable role in the development of agriculture through weather prediction and providing sequences of information on climatic change from the beginning of the year to the end.

NIMET is a clairvoyant which tells you what to do in order to avert disaster occasioned by weather intemperance . But its clairvoyance is rooted in science and mathematical certainty, as the agency continues to improve over the years. 

Since his appointment, the Director General of NIMET, Prof. Charles Anosike, has continued with the tradition of collaboration with different entities and agencies whose duties are germane to the core values of NIMET and it has developed a synergy that will benefit the country in many ways.

Recently NIMET met with the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM). Speaking when he welcomed the president and Chairman of the council, Dr. Christiana Atako, Prof. Anosike emphasized  the need to collaborate with NIM, saying that so much would be achieved  the two organizations work together.

Atako who congratulated Anosike on his appointment as the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, said the appointment is fitting and deserving, given his well-known record of performance in previous responsibilities.

“The institute, to which you belong as a Fellow, is proud of you and believes that you will make a success of this new assignment. The signs of what you are bringing to the table to move the agency forward are already showing with the great managerial and leadership direction you have provided so far.”

During the visit, Atako explained to the NiMet DG the various services offered by NIM, emphasising the potential benefits for the agency. These services encompass executive training and intensive programmes for membership admission.

In her closing remarks, Atako urged NiMet’s management to consider settling outstanding membership dues of staff members as a motivational measure. Additionally, she proposed that NiMet sponsors staff to attend the 2024 Annual National Management Conference (ANMC) of NIM scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from September 22 to 24,2024.

Responding to these proposals, the NiMet DG expressed gratitude to the NIM council for the visit. He highlighted the importance of management as the organising principle of any institution, underscoring NiMet’s commitment to delivering its mandate as outlined by the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, based on the aviation sector roadmap for Nigeria.

Anosike emphasised the significance of staff development within NiMet and acknowledged the relevance of collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Management.

“The science of meteorology requires proper management and coordination. As you are aware, NiMet is a scientific organisation and we have several smart people and Professors working in the agency. We welcome the idea to collaborate with the Nigerian Institute of Management,” he stated.

Looking forward, Anosike proposed the formalisation of the collaboration through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This document would delineate the responsibilities and expectations from both NiMet and NIM. The NiMet DG recognised NIM’s extensive membership base of over 200,000 and saw it as an opportunity for shared experiences.

He indicated the intention to utilise joint platforms to promote the science of meteorology and management while inspiring young individuals to explore these professions.

In another collaborative effort, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Sahel Consulting had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish sustainable climate monitoring and tackle bottlenecks in the early warnings system.

NiMet’s director-general, Prof. Charles Anosike, emphasised the critical role of early warnings in safeguarding citizens.

“The importance of an early warning system cannot be overemphasised and we are willing to partner with any organisation capable of investing in preparedness. This will help protect our population, who should and must be alerted early to climate disasters.”

The Climate Early Warnings project, a collaboration between Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and NiMet, is set to roll out six meteorological automatic weather observation systems (AWOS) across Nigeria. Additionally, a mapping room will be established, accompanied by capacity development initiatives for NiMet staff and other government agencies.

The implementation team includes members from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) of Columbia University, New York, USA, among others.

Yemi Adegoroye, representing Sahel Consulting and the consortium and Anosike, on behalf of NiMet, officially signed the MOU. This strategic partnership signifies a collective commitment to enhancing climate resilience and providing early warnings for the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

NIMET has over the years partnered with different countries and has been providing critical services on weather prediction to some West and Central African nations.

Recently NIMET signed a memorandum of understanding with Varysian Limited, a United Kingdom-based weather and climate services consultancy, to partner in key areas that will lead to improved service delivery by the agency.

Speaking at the MoU signing, Prof. Anosike said that the MoU signing and eventual actualization would further strengthen the agency’s commitment to providing world-class weather and climate information services to Nigerians and the various industry sectors that it serves.

“We are happy to be partnering Varysian Limited. Their expertise is in enhancing partnership and collaboration between National Meteorological & Hydrological Services (NMHS) and other industry stakeholders, through world-class events, data and research. The MoU covers a lot of areas but most importantly, we will prioritize operationalizing capacity development of our staff in marine meteorology, instituting a mentorship programme for our staff with global weather and climate services organizations and improving our capacity in parametric weather insurance”, Professor Anosike said.

Collaboration and partnerships are ways organizations and even nations build synergy to be better in what they do. For NIMET, as one of the most reputable meteorology organization in Africa with global reckoning, it must continue to work together with other relevant agencies bot at home and overseas.