Tag: NIMET

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has organized a training session for the directors and senior management staff of the agency. 

The training which was held on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in collaboration with management consulting firm Balanced Scorecard West Africa, was themed; ‘Balanced Scorecard Performance Management System’.

While declaring the session open, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, emphasized the agency’s commitment to prioritizing staff welfare and capacity development. 

He noted that these efforts align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s seven-point agenda and the performance bond signed with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN. The agreement underscores the importance of building human capacity within the aviation industry.

Keyamo had said during the performance bond signing that “This will be a basis upon which regular appraisals will be done”.

Professor Anosike added: “We are starting a new journey at NiMet as we prepare to roll out a balanced scorecard performance management system. It is one of the global management tools that organizations use to translate strategy into performance. This workshop will help us to improve our strategy formulation, our ability to formulate strategies, and make way for enduring creativity in the agency”. 

Read Also: NiMet forecasts three-day haziness, cloudiness

He said that the balanced scorecard performance management system enables organizations to communicate strategy clearly to all stakeholders.

“Value-creation activities in organizations are no longer strictly measured in the tangible things and fixed assets of the firm etc. Instead, value lies in the ideas of people in the organization, in service delivery and supplier relationships, in key information databases, and in cultures capable of innovation and continually delivering quality. We can come together at NiMet to solve our problems and create value in never-imagined ways”. 

Professor Anosike said: “I urge every one of us at NiMet, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to embrace performance management as a foundation for improving performance. Strategy dictates the path forward. It is not the change effort itself that is likely to cause the failure. It is always the execution and development, the implementation, execution and development.”

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted hazy and cloudy weather for three days, covering yesterday to tomorrow, across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook, which was released on Sunday in Abuja, envisaged the North would experience dust haze with visibility range of one kilometre to five kilometres.

It anticipated localised visibility of less than 1,000 metres throughout the forecast period.

According to the weatherman, the hazy atmosphere with patches of clouds is anticipated over the southern region of the country during the forecast period.

“On Tuesday, the North and the Northcentral regions of the country are expected to experience dust haze with visibility range of 1km to five kilometres and localised visibility of less than 1,000 metres throughout the forecast period.

“In the South, early morning mist or fog patches are expected over the coastal region. However,

sunny skies with patches of clouds should prevail over the inland and the coastal states during the later in the day.

“On Wednesday, good visibility dust haze is expected during the forecast period in the northern region. In the Northcentral, dust haze with moderate visibility of one kilometre to five kilometres is expected during forecast period.

Read Also: NiMet, MOWCA partner to improve marine weather information in member states

According to NiMet, in the southern region, early morning mist or fog patches are expected over the coastal region with few clouds in a hazy atmosphere over the inland states.

The weather agency predicted slim prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Bayelsa, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom later in the day.

NiMet urged the public to take necessary precaution as dust particles are in suspense.

“People with asthmatic health condition and other respiratory issues should be cautious of the present weather condition. Adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.

“Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet. Visit our website

www.nimet.gov.ng,” the statement said.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), have agreed on joint action to promote maritime weather observation, early warnings, and capacity building for MOWCA member states.

This formed part of the agreement in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by NiMet and MOWCA in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, the Director General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike said that NiMet will also leverage MOWCA’s mandate and reach to enhance its service delivery.

He said: “NiMet is the authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of Nigeria’s atmosphere and its interaction with all aspects of the economy. NiMet regulates and advises the Nigerian government on all aspects of meteorology towards sustainable economic development. 

“As weather, climate, and water cycles cannot be controlled by a country, international cooperation is essential for the development of meteorology.

“We share common problems of maritime safety and security and pollution of maritime waters as the West and Central African region is largely dependent on maritime transport.

Therefore, the safety of maritime operations demands that weather information be broadcast to ships twice.

Read Also: NiMet, AWWDI partner to deliver weather information to disabled community 

a day as stipulated by the SOLAS convention and the World Meteorological Organization. 

“This information includes quality data, analysis, warnings, and weather forecasts. Improving the collection and regional exchange of ocean-based observational data will deliver additional socioeconomic benefits to our region. 

“Investment in ocean observation infrastructure and capacity development is highly needed to ensure that weather information provided covers all shipping lines and fishing grounds in MOWCA member states.”

Prof. Anosike added that the partnership presents opportunities for both parties to collaborate and promote compliance with the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention. 

He also requested funding support for ocean observation infrastructure to enable regional maritime weather information sharing across member states. 

The Secretary General of MOWCA, Dr Paul Adalikwu commended the efforts of NiMet in providing weather and climate information for the maritime and other sectors. 

“The role of meteorological agencies in maritime operations cannot be overemphasized as they are essential in delivering precise weather forecasts and timely warnings, which significantly enhance the safety of vessels by predicting storms, tides and sea conditions.

“Considering the volume of vessels that pass through Nigerian waterways, it’s very important that we partner with NiMet and so should other stakeholders in the maritime sector too. We have listened to NiMet’s presentation and are impressed by it. 

“We will escalate the issues raised as well as the services that NiMet offers to our member – -states and encourage them to take advantage of the best practices that Nigeria has to offer, Dr. Adalikwu concluded”. 

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) at the weekend signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), to enhance availability of information on weather and climate to people with disabilities.

AWWDI was established to improve the quality of life of women living with various disabilities through advocacy.

Under the terms of the MoU, NiMet will provide meteorological services for early warning of extreme weather phenomena to AWWDI across the country.

The overall objective of the pact is to provide early warnings to vulnerable communities, such as the disabled community, and improve their capacity to respond appropriately to climate-related disasters.

During the signing of the MoU, NiMet’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike, said the organisation always included everyone in its weather and climate information dissemination and other activities.

“I welcome the team from AWWDI to NiMet. The speed with which we reacted as soon as we received your letter leading to the signing of the MoU today shows that as an agency, NiMet takes social issues, including issues affecting people with disabilities, very seriously,” Anosike said.

Read Also: 23 surprising facts about Tinubu’s Tax Reform that could change everything

The NiMet boss assured the NGO that its members would be integrated into the agency’s future programmes.

“I want to assure the members of AWWDI that the work of NiMet is integral to your survival in the face of climate change. I’m wearing these clothes provided by the First Lady today for a reason. It is a sign of unity. When we partner and work together, and it’s done effectively and people can respond appropriately, we build resilience in our communities. When we build resilience it triggers unity”, Anosike said.

AWWDI’s Executive Director, Mrs. Patience Ogolo-Dickson, thanked Anosike for giving her team a warm reception.

“I thank you for having this very wonderful MoU-signing event. I want to say a big thank you for the way you spoke to us. That means a lot because it’s not in every organisation that we get this kind of reception. You and your wonderful team welcomed us so warmly, and we appreciate you for that.

“The Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) champions issues of women with disabilities. We focus first on the women and on all the persons with disability because we are a general community. We decided to partner NiMet because people are just talking about climate change and nobody is talking about the impact of climate change on our community, a community that is already struggling with so many issues, physical barriers, communication barriers, and all kinds of barriers.

“It’s time for us to have a voice. As people are talking about climate change, let’s begin to highlight some of these unique issues that have to do with the disabled community. We are just asking for inclusion because we are a part of a society called Nigeria that has citizens, including citizens that function in special needs.”

Mrs. Dickson expressed appreciation to the Disability Rights Fund for the support it gave AWWDI and for funding the project centered around climate change policies, especially focusing on their implications for women and girls with disabilities.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), a non-governmental organisation established to improve the quality of life of women living with various disabilities through advocacy. 

The partnership is expected to enhance the availability of information on weather and climate to persons with disability in Nigeria.

Under the terms of the MoU, NiMet will provide meteorological services for early warning of extreme weather phenomena to AWWDI in Nigeria. 

According to NiMet, the objective of the agreement signed is to provide timely early warnings to vulnerable communities such as the disabled community, and improve their capacity to respond appropriately to climate disasters.

The Director General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, said the agency seeks to include everyone, including people with disabilities, in its weather and climate information dissemination and other activities.

Read Also: NiMet, NGF move to mitigate impact of climate-related disasters

He said: “The speed with which we reacted as soon as we received your letter leading to the signing of the MoU shows that as an agency, NiMet takes social issues, including issues affecting people with disabilities, very seriously”. 

Prof. Anosike assured that the agency will integrate AWWDI into all its future programmes. 

“I want to assure the members of AWWDI that the work of NiMet is integral to your survival in the face of climate change. I’m wearing these clothes provided by the First Lady today for a reason. It is a sign of unity. When we partner and work together, and it’s done effectively and people can respond appropriately, we build resilience in our communities. When we build resilience it triggers unity.”

The Executive Director of AWWDI, Mrs Patience Ogolo-Dickson said the partnership was imperative following the impact of climate change on a community that struggles with so many barriers.

She said: “The Advocacy For Women With Disabilities Initiative champions issues of women with disabilities. We focus first on the women and also on all the persons with disability because we are a general community. 

“We decided to partner with NiMet because people are just talking about climate change and nobody is talking about the impact of climate change on our community, a community that is already struggling with so many issues, physical barriers, communication barriers, and all kinds of barriers. 

“It’s time for us to have a voice. As people are talking about climate change, let’s begin to highlight some of these unique issues that have to do with the disabled community. We are just asking for inclusion because we are a part of a society called Nigeria that has citizens, including citizens that function in special needs.”

Mrs. Dickson also lauded the Disability Rights Fund for the support given to AWWDI and for funding the project centred around climate change policies, especially focusing on their implications for women and girls with disabilities. 

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have said they are strengthening collaboration to mitigate the impact of climate-related disasters.

The collaboration is also targeted at improving the country’s socio-economic spheres.

Speaking during a meeting at NGF’s office in Abuja at the weekend, NiMet’s Director General, Prof. Charles Anosike, said a formal relationship between the NGF and NiMet was in the best interest of the country as it would benefit the people.

He said: “It’s no longer news that we are seeing increasingly weather events that are affecting our communities. Every year, we count losses of the number of our people that have been killed, families and communities displaced, and the economic damages.

“These extreme weather events also trigger human trafficking, disease outbreaks, and other negative impacts.”

Anosike said both parties would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide their relationship, stressing the need for more efforts to be put into mitigating the impact of climate change.

“If we can proactively collaborate and coordinate our activities, we should be able to reduce the impact of climate change. This is why NiMet has come to the NGF. Our collaboration will ensure that weather and climate information get to the last mile – the Nigerian people,” he said.

According to him, weather and climate information is critical to the sustainable economic development of our people.

“Early warning systems are systematic activities that will ensure that weather and climate information gets to the Nigerian people and to the vulnerable to ensure that they would be able to respond accordingly, not reactively but proactively.

Read Also: Jimoh Ibrahim, Australia PM to speak at Oxford conference

“Early warning saves lives, but for it to work effectively, synergistic leadership has to be demonstrated by all the relevant stakeholders,” Anosike said.

The NiMet chief executive noted that the agency’s Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) is an early warning tool that supports the United Nations Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) initiative championed by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

“The forecast is a painstaking and rigorous scientific exercise that involves the utilisation of global and regional models and other atmospheric drivers with strong teleconnection with our region to arrive at the outlook,” he said.

NGF’s Director General, Alhaji Abdulateef Shittu, said climate change impacts economic well-being at the national and global levels.

“NiMet is a critical Federal Government agency, hence the NGF has agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NiMet so that we can support and partner with them to implement all the climate change initiatives that the agency has in the interest of the Nigerian people.

“Climate change is all about mitigation and adaptation. We have discussed a lot about that and what needs to be done. We have to face the reality of climate change and see how we can mitigate it, especially about preventing food shortages and ensuring food security,” he said.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has capacity to climate-proof the economy, provide timely weather and climate information, its Director General Prof Charles Anosike said yesterday.

Anosike spoke at a workshop on “Understanding the landscape of agro-meteorological data resources and processes for facilitating climate-smart agriculture adoption” in Abuja yesterday.

The workshop, hosted by NiMet and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), according to the  NiMET boss, aims to help participants understand the landscape of agro-meteorological advisories in Nigeria.

He said: “This is an important workshop that is aimed at building resilience among smallholder farmers and livestock keepers to increase productivity by Identifying adaptation options, best practices, and adaptation gaps for smallholder farmers.

“I am particularly grateful to the ILRI for co-hosting this event, as the event is coming at the right time when NiMet is working on a strategic design to explore the pastoralist landscape of Nigeria in a bid to strengthen engagement and ensure the development of early warning systems specifically for the sector to make it resilient and sustainable in advancing the UN EW4ALL initiative”.

Read Also: EFCC fires two staff over corrupt practices

Prof. Anosike also revealed that NiMet’s agrometeorological advisories have evolved in scope, including the concept of co-production which is supported by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

He said: “Co-production allows critical stakeholders to be part of the production process of weather and climate information to increase the depth and improve the accuracy and relevance of the information provided. The workshop allows critical stakeholders to map the climate information advisories that are critical to smallholder farmers, and livestock keepers.”

The ILRI Programme Leader, Anthony Whitbread, said the workshop will improve the capacity of the participants.

He said: “It will help to identify gaps in information needs, data gathering, and the process of delivery of information to the last mile including gender and social inclusion”.

The Senior Scientist of institutions and Innovation at ILRI, Rupsha Banerjee, listed the expected outcome of the workshop as the production of a “Country profile and infographic in brief, the delivery of climate services via the public and private sector in Nigeria”.