By Miriam Humbe
Director General and CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, has urged Nigerian companies, Universities, and organizations to invest in weather and climate monitoring, prediction, and awareness programs to combat climate change and protect lives.
Prof Anosike who is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said this on Wednesday at the National Weather Forecasting and Climate Research Centre, Abuja, to mark the 2026 World Meteorological Day.
The event was themed: “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow.”
The DG emphasized the need for public-private collaboration to strengthen meteorological observation systems and advance weather and climate services.
He urged Nigerian firms to join this growing trend to strengthen national meteorological systems.
While highlighting the critical role of the private sector, Prof Anosike said that worldwide, companies were increasingly investing in weather stations, remote sensing, data analytics platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) weather models, and innovative observation tools.
Anosike also said that under the WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme, NiMet had extended its technical support to regional partners, such as Liberia, Niger, Somalia and Burkina Faso, providing guidance on strengthening their meteorological observation capacity.
He said that rising climate variability and extreme weather events were increasing demands on meteorological services, a challenge no single institution or government can meet alone.
He said: “In line with the theme, we call for greater public-private collaboration.
“Investment in weather stations, AI-based forecasting, satellite data systems, and observation technologies today will safeguard lives, infrastructure, and economic activities tomorrow”.
Prof Anosike therefore, called on industry leaders, innovators, research institutions, financial organizations, and development partners to work with NiMet to expand Nigeria’s meteorological infrastructure and observation capabilities.
Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, Prof. Celeste Saulo underscored the urgency of climate resilience.
Saulo said: “Extreme weather is now the top long-term global risk. Observing and predicting the climate underpins economies and everyday life worldwide. Investment in meteorology is a shared responsibility.”
Director-General of the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, lauded NiMet’s decades-long contributions to national development and disaster risk mitigation.
The DG of NCAA, Chris Najomo highlighted the vital role of meteorology in aviation safety.
He emphasized the need for AI-driven forecasting and resilient infrastructure.
