The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, Thursday urged the private sector to increase investment in advancing weather and climate services across Nigeria and the wider region.
Anosike made the call during his opening remarks in Abuja at the World Meteorological Day celebration themed: “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow,” highlighting the critical role of timely and accurate weather information.
He said the private sector can strengthen meteorological observation systems by investing in weather stations, remote sensing technologies, data analytics platforms, AI weather models, and innovative observation tools complementing national networks globally.
“We recognise that public-private collaboration is essential to achieving a robust and sustainable national observation system.
“Strategic partnerships promote shared investment, improve data exchange, and encourage innovations in meteorological observation technologies.
“Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow’ is more than a theme; it is a call to action.
“Investing today in data and systems safeguards our future, ensuring accurate forecasts and stronger climate resilience,” Anosike added.
He said every weather station installed and every observation collected nowadays enhanced understanding of atmospheric dynamics for decades and strengthened predictability of future weather and climate events.
Anosike stated that weather and climate observations form the backbone of meteorology, adding that accurate forecasts, early warnings, and climate outlooks all depended on timely, reliable data from land, water, air and space.