The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NIMET

  • NIMET set to commercialise operations

    NIMET set to commercialise operations

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) will soon commercialise its services to generate revenue for its operations, the Director-General, Dr Anthony Anuforom, has said.

    Addressing reporters at the weekend in Abuja, Anuforom said NIMET’s attainment of the International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9001 certification would enable it to offer quality services as a world-class organisation.

    He said this feat has prepared the ground for the agency to pursue the commercialisation of its services.

    Anuforom said: “Getting the ISO 9001 certification is paving the way towards the commercialisation of our services.

    “You cannot commercialise something that does not have quality. In other words, the quality of our services is now very well assured. The benefits of the ISO 9001 are enormous for this country. Nigeria is a destination because the air traffic will increase and the airspace will be busy. That is an opportunity for us. We must be prepared and live up to the challenges of providing sufficient safety services.”

    The NIMET chief said the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) prescribe that all aeronautical service providers in the aviation and related fields should attain the international quality management audit to achieve the ISO certification.

    He explained that without acquiring the ISO 9001, foreign airlines would not be obliged to obtain or use the agency’s weather forecast.

     

     

     

  • Agency takes measures against flooding

    As part of effort to prevent flooding, the Department of Urban Affairs of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council said structures at flood- prone areas and under high tension wire will soon be demolished.

    The FCTA said many of the buildings close to the flood plains have already been  marked for demolition and clearing of drains has begun to allow free flow of water

    The Acting Directorof the department, Alhaji Liman Ibrahim disclosed this in Abuja at the flag-off of FCT flood awareness campaign.

    The one -week sensitisation campaign that would be carried out in all the six area councils may not be unconnected with the recent predictions by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

    Ibrahim stated that the sensitisation campaign was a wake-up call by all stakeholders to prepare for flood and adopt measures aimed at preventing, averting and containing flooding incidents.

    According to him, “it is a wake-up call on our relevant stakeholders to take proactive measures towards preventing and tackling the incidence of flooding in the FCT, these measures include but not limited to clearance  of drains to allow for free flow of storm water, demolition of illegal structures built on flood as well as early warning system”.

    The sensitisation teams include officials from National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Fire Service, and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

    Part of the flood- prone areas visited includes Dutse Alhaji, Dutse Magaranta, and Kubwa all in Buhari Area Council.

     

  • NIMET workers petition Oduah over directors’ tenure

    NIMET workers petition Oduah over directors’ tenure

    Some workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) have petitioned the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, over an alleged “undue favouritism” by the management.

    The management’s conduct, they alleged, breached the Federal Civil Service rules.

    Under the auspices of Concerned Staff of NIMET, the workers alleged that the Director-General (DG), Dr. Anthony Anuforom, is aiding some directors and general managers to stay put in office. The officers are said to have spent more than the required eight years in office.

    The DG, they claimed, is covering up for the offices “because of personal relationships”.

    NIMET’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mrs. Eva Azinge, said the management was aware of the issues raised by the workers but she absolved the DG of blame.

    The workers’letter, which was also sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Director of the State Security Service (SSS), and  the NIMET DG reads: “The painful but regrettable favouritism and preferential application of tenure system and promotions being executed by the management of NIMET is in total disregard to the Federal Government’s policy and Public Service rules.”

    Those alleged to have overstayed in office are General Manager, Human Resources, Alhaji Auwal Salisu Mohammed; Director, Training School, Oshodi in Lagos, Mr Ngana Dominc Tagbo and Director of Administration and Supplies Alhaji Garba Adamu.

    The petitioners claimed that Alhaji Adamu refused to act on the matter because he was also a beneficiary, adding that he was a “stumbling block” to the advancement of others.

    The petitioners attached some documents, including letters of the appointments of some of the officers whom they claimed have overstayed in office to other petition.

    Mrs Azinge explained why the agency’s helmsman cannot intervene in the matter. She said: “I know that this situation exists, but I didn’t know that it was already out in the media. It is just that those who are responsible for doing the right documentations have not been able to do so, and the director-general could not be seen to put pressure on people to do their jobs, because it will seem as if he has interest in the matter.

    “I can assure you that the director-general of NIMET is not covering up for anybody. The issue of cover-up those not exist. Now that the issue has been brought into public domain, we will look into the matter and take action.”

     

  • River Niger may overflow its bank, experts warn

    * Say West Africa should expect heavy rainfall

    There is possibility of the River Niger, one of the longest in Africa, overflowing its banks this year on account of heavy rainfall, meteorologists and hydrologists have warned .

    The experts say Seasonal Rainfall Predictions (SRP) indicate average to excess flow of the river.

    The experts, in a communiqué at the end of a workshop organised by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) in Abuja, said: “Average to excess flows are expected in the upper and middle part of the Niger River basin, while in the lower parts of the basin, especially the Nigerian section, there are probabilities of excess flows are expected.”

    Other rivers expected to over flow their banks are: Senegal, Volta, Gambia, Comoé and Ouémé as well as Lake Chad Basin.

    The major implication of the prediction, according to them, is the effect on agriculture.

    They said the coming heavy rains are capable of causing flooding and loss of cultivated areas.

    They also said the conditions will favour the breeding of pests, including weeds, grasshoppers and other pests for which monitoring and prevention measures should be strengthened.

  • NIMET calls for early warning weather information

    NIMET calls for early warning weather information

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr Anthony Anuforom, has called for the application of early warning weather/climate information in planning and decision-making on vital sectors of the economy.

    He spoke in Abuja when he delivered a lecture, entitled: Meteorology, Climate Change and the Nigerian Economy, at the induction of some fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Science.

    Anuforom said meteorological information does not only serve as a tool for early warning but could also be used for improving productivity in key economic sectors, including agriculture.

    He noted that extreme weather events, such as flooding – like what the nation experienced last year – could threaten the goals of national and global development programmes, including Nigeria’s Vision 20:20:20 and the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    The NIMET chief said it is necessary to understand the application of early warning weather and climate information.

    According to him, it is in recognition of climate change as a critical challenge that made the Federal Government to plan a sustainable economic growth till 2020.

    Anuforom explained that to address the issue, the government took a number of measures, including the development of a National Action Plan and the adoption of a policy on climate change.

    The NIMET chief also said the government strengthened the operational capacity of the agency by providing modern infrastructure for weather observation and forecasting.

    Others, he said, include the strengthening of NEMA’s capacity to respond to weather-induced disasters and the development of a National Framework for Application of Climate Services (NFACS) with the inauguration of a high-powered ministerial committee to develop a framework.

    Anuforom suggested that the NFACS should complement the transformation agenda to make national economic development more resilient to the vagaries of climate change.

    The NIMET chief added that this is the only way the gains of development efforts will become stable, enduring and sustainable.

  • NIMET advises airline operators on windy weather

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on Tuesday advised airline operators in Northern Nigeria to beware of the upcoming rain which would be accompanied by strong wind.

    The General Manager, Public Weather Services, Mr. Wilson Samson, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He said the onset of the rainy season in Abuja and the extreme north, according to 2013 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), is April 16, and that the rain will come with strong wind.

    Samson advised airline operators and pilots to stick to weather information from NIMET and not to be in a hurry to embark on any journey once they were cautioned.

    He also advised passengers to be patient with the pilots in case of flight delay or rescheduling due to weather-related reasons.

    “For the aviation sector, normally every onset of the rainy season that comes from the central to the extreme northern part is accompanied by very strong wind.

    “This is not too good for the aviation industry because it can disturb them, especially in landing and taking off. It can lead to delay or rescheduling of flight operations.

    “We advise them to stick religiously to the use of weather information from NIMET before embarking on operations.

    “If that information has an indication of possible weather hazard, they should wait and inform the passengers,’’ Samson said.

     

  • ANPP urges FG to avert further flooding

    The All Nigeria Peoples Party has called on the Federal Government to do all within its power to avert a repetition of the flooding that befell parts of the country last year.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Eneukwu said the call was based on the recent prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), about the expected volume of rainfall in 2013.

    “The attention of ANPP has been drawn to media reports about the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET)’s 2013 rainfall prediction, which it presented to the public over the weekend in Abuja.

    “According to the agency’s Director-General, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, this year’s rainfall pattern will not be different from what the country witnessed last year.

    “He specifically mentioned that the annual rainfall amount was expected to be above normal in comparison to 2012 in the Northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Zamfara and their environs.

    “We in ANPP commend NIMET for introducing zonal seasonal rainfall prediction in order to reach the grassroots; we maintain that this warning should not be taken lightly by the states and Federal Governments,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the party as saying in the statement.

    He described last year’s “havoc-wrecking floods in several parts of the nation” as fresh in the minds of Nigerians, especially the victims.

    Eneukwu recalled that the nation watched in shock as homesteads and farmlands were swept away.

    He, however, expressed concern over the slow response of the nation to the menace that followed the natural disaster.

    “ Worst still also, is the sudden release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam by the Cameroonian authorities, which displaced many communities in the country with colossal loss of property and some lives,” he said.

    The party’s image maker said the party was also concerned because floods posed threat to the nation’s food security and to the farmers.

     

  • NIMET gets weather calibration lab

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) Weather Instrument Calibration Laboratory at four airports are now operational, its Director-General, Dr Anthony Anuforom has said.

    They are Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport.

    During an interview in Abuja, he said the laboratory was completed last year, adding that NIMET engineers have been trained on the use of the laboratory.

    He described the laboratory as a component of equipment profile that will stimulate safety and assist the agency in giving accurate measurement of weather conditions.

    The laboratory, he said, is designed for correcting instrument errors through calibration, for more accurate measurement of weather variables.

    He said: “If you have a wind instrument, if you don’t calibrate, you cannot guarantee that the variable is accurate.”

    Anuforom said five Upper Air Stations are functional in the country as against the single station a few years ago.

    He spoke of plans to fix two air stations that would be functional soon.

     

  • NIMET warns of dehydration

    NIMET warns of dehydration

    As the dry season sets in, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has warned against dehydration and respiratory disorder.

    The Agency also urged Nigerians to prepare for hot and dry weather conditions, following the end of the rainy season.

    Residents, especially in the northern and central part, are advised to stay in cool and well-ventilated places.

    Temperature across the country is expected to increase by three degrees Celscius.

    In a statement made available to The Nation yesterday in Abuja, NIMET’s Head of Public Relations Unit, Mrs. Eva Azinge strong, dry and dusty wind would be prevalent in the southern part of the country as the season progresses.

    It reads: “The increase in temperature will generally result in increase in human discomfort level. The residents in the North and central parts are therefore advised to stay in cool and well-ventilated places.

    “They should avoid long exposure to direct sun radiation to reduce incidences of dehydration.”