By Miriam Humbe
The Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, has called for innovative approaches to strengthen climate resilience in Nigeria during the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Conference of the Nigerian Meteorological Society (NMetS) and its 35th Annual General Meeting at the University of Lagos, Akoka.
In his keynote address, Prof. Anosike commended NMetS for convening the conference, noting that the theme, “Advancing Meteorology: Harnessing AI, Satellites, and Big Data for Climate Resilience and Sustainability,” underscores the urgent need to translate scientific knowledge into actionable solutions that protect lives, livelihoods, and national development amid rising climate risks.
He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant concern. It is a lived reality, expressed through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, flooding, droughts, heatwaves, and increasing weather extremes that affect ecosystems, economies, and societies, especially in Africa.”
The Director General highlighted Nigeria’s evolving climate challenges, including increasing temperature extremes, shifting rainfall patterns, desertification in the north, and coastal erosion in the south.
He emphasized that traditional approaches to meteorology are no longer sufficient to address these complex challenges and stressed on the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI), satellite technologies, and big data analytics in modern meteorology.
Adding that AI-driven forecasts, combined with satellite observations and high-performance computing, are now central to NiMet’s operations, enabling accurate, timely, and impact based predictions.
Prof. Anosike also highlighted NiMet’s strategic partnerships with AIM for Scale, Ignitia, Tomorrow.io, the Korean Meteorological Authority, and the China Meteorological Administration to integrate AI into operational activities.
He noted that NiMet’s Digital Climate Advisory Service (DCAS) is already providing farmers with weather-driven advisories to support climate resilient agriculture.
Prof. Charles Anosike concluded by emphasizing the critical role of professional bodies, researchers, and educators in advancing meteorology and called on the private sector and civil society to actively participate in strengthening meteorological observation systems and climate services.
He encouraged NMetS to mentor young professionals, promote ethical research, and bridge the gap between science and policy in alignment with the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative, while reaffirming NiMet’s commitment to leveraging science, innovation, and technology to build a climate-resilient Nigeria.
The DG also received a fellowship and commendation award in recognition of his contributions to meteorological services
