Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) , Prof. Charles Anosike has called on the private sector to invest in meteorological infrastructure to aid government in stemming the risk of climate change.
Anosike made the call during World Meteorological Day celebration held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The theme for this year’s celebration, was “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow”.
According to him, the World Meteorological Day gives the opportunity to celebrate scientific achievements in meteorology, as well as to reflect on how weather and climate services support sustainable development, safeguard lives, and strengthen economic resilience across nations.
“The theme for this year’s celebration, “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow” reminds us of a simple but important truth: which is that the quality of tomorrow’s forecasts depends on the observations we make today. Weather and climate observations form the backbone of the science of meteorology. Every forecast, every early warning, and every climate outlook begins with accurate, timely, and reliable observations collected from land, water, air, and space.
“Over the years, NiMet has continued to expand and modernise Nigeria’s meteorological infrastructure.To meet these growing expectations, no single institution or government can act alone.This is why the theme of this year’s celebration also calls for greater partnerships and collaboration, particularly with the private sector. The private sector has a critical role to play in strengthening meteorological observation systems and advancing weather and climate services. Across the world, private companies are increasingly investing in weather stations, remote sensing technologies, data analytics platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI) weather models, and innovative observation tools that complement national meteorological networks.
“At NiMet, we recognise that public-private collaboration is essential to achieving a robust and sustainable national observation system. Through strategic partnerships, we aim to promote shared investments in meteorological infrastructure, improve data exchange, and encourage innovations in observation technologies.
“Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow” is more than a theme, but a call to action, which is critical, imminent, and obligatory. We are essentially emphasising on investing today in the data and systems that will safeguard our future. Every weather station installed today, every observation collected today improves our understanding of the atmospheric dynamics for decades to come and strengthens our predictability of future weather and climate events.”, he said.
The NiMet boss noted that the State of the Climate in Nigeria 2025 report shows that extreme daytime temperatures (≥40℃) were recorded across 23 Nigerian cities, with the most intense and persistent heat occurring between March and June. The northwest and the northeastern states, adding that all these and more are only possible with the help of quality observation information.
“With the growing demand for meteorological information occasioned by climate variability and change including extreme weather events, technological innovations,growing knowledge and market size, the viability of private sector participation is assured. Governments are creating the enabling policy environment for private investors to not only contribute to climate change adaptation but also recoup their investment through viable public-private joint ventures and tax-breaks. I therefore want to call on industry leaders, technology innovators, research institutions, financial institutions, and development partners to work closely with NiMet in expanding Nigeria’s meteorological observation capabilities.
“As we celebrate World Meteorological Day today, let us reaffirm our collective commitment to strengthening meteorological observations, deepening partnerships, and investing in the science that protects our present and preserves our future”, he added.
