The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have pledged to strengthen their collaboration to address the growing challenges posed by climate change and promote socio-economic development in Nigeria.
At a meeting held at the NGF’s office in Abuja, NiMet’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Charles Anosike, emphasized the need for a formal partnership to mitigate the adverse impacts of extreme weather events on communities.
“It’s no longer news that increasingly severe weather events are wreaking havoc on our people. Each year, we count the lives lost, communities displaced, and the economic damage incurred. These events also trigger secondary crises such as human trafficking, disease outbreaks, and other negative impacts,” he stated.
Professor Anosike highlighted the importance of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the partnership, ensuring that weather and climate information reaches the grassroots.
“Proactive collaboration and coordination between NiMet and the NGF will help reduce the impact of climate change. Our goal is to ensure that weather and climate information gets to the last mile—the Nigerian people—enabling them to respond proactively rather than reactively. Early warning systems save lives, but they require synergistic leadership from all stakeholders,” he said.
He also cited NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) as a vital early-warning tool aligned with the United Nations’ Early Warning for All initiative, led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The Director General of the NGF, Abdulateef Shittu, reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to working with NiMet to address the socio-economic threats posed by climate change.
“NiMet is a critical federal agency, and the NGF is ready to support its initiatives. Our collaboration will ensure the implementation of climate change strategies that prevent food shortages and enhance food security for Nigerians,” Shittu stated.
With the MoU in sight, the partnership between NiMet and NGF aims to create a framework for mitigating the effects of climate change through early warning systems and sustainable economic practices.
