Africa accounts for about 30 per cent of the global deficit in weather and climate observations, with the continent operating only 12.5 per cent of the minimum weather station density recommended by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

This was the view of the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, yesterday, during his welcome address at the opening ceremony of the three-day Alliance for Hydromet Development Annual Meeting 2026, hosted by the agency in Lagos.

Anosike warned that inadequate observation infrastructure was negatively affecting the accuracy of weather forecasts and leaving vulnerable communities exposed to climate-related disasters.
Anosike, who is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the WMO, called for increased public and private-sector investment to close critical gaps in weather and climate monitoring across Africa.
According to him, the continent had some of the most significant weather observation deficits globally, with compliance rates among 53 countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, standing at only seven per cent for surface land stations and nine per cent for upper-air stations.

The Director-General expressed that the situation was particularly concerning for Nigeria, given its vast landmass of more than 900,000 square kilometres and the limited availability of standard meteorological observation stations in rural, agricultural and remote border communities.
He said: “With limited funding, vast rural, agricultural and remote border territories are left completely without standard observation stations.

“Modernising weather and climate observation infrastructure requires substantial capital investment, which governments alone can not adequately provide. I therefore call on financial institutions, development banks, private investors, philanthropic organisations and climate funds to support the expansion and maintenance of observation networks, weather radar infrastructure, remote sensing systems, data analytics and climate information platforms.’
Anosike described investment in weather and climate services as a high-impact strategy, particularly as extreme weather events become more frequent and the demand for reliable climate information increases across critical sectors of the economy.

He explained that accurate meteorological data had become indispensable for aviation safety, agricultural productivity, maritime operations, disaster preparedness, infrastructure investment and financial risk management.
According to him, climate information was increasingly relevant to agricultural lending, insurance pricing, corporate sustainability reporting and the assessment of physical climate risks.
The NiMet boss said the agency was strengthening its engagement with private-sector organisations and other stakeholders in the climate services value chain through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

He explained that such partnerships would complement government funding by combining private capital, operational efficiency and risk-sharing arrangements with public oversight to deliver essential infrastructure and services.
He further called on participants at the meeting to commit to strengthening the capacity of national meteorological and hydrological services, particularly in sustaining observation systems and improving data exchange in line with WMO standards.

In the maritime sector, Anosike said NiMet was collaborating with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority to provide daily maritime weather forecasts aimed at improving vessel safety and operational efficiency.
Also, the Director of the Development Partnerships and Programme Delivery Division of the WMO, Daniel Kull, said the Alliance for Hydromet Development was established at the Nim, in 2019 to close capacity gaps in weather and climate services by 2030.

Kull said the alliance had recorded progress through country hydrometeorological assessments, which provide a framework for identifying national capacity gaps and directing investments to areas where they are most needed.
He also mentioned the establishment of financing mechanisms to support basic weather and climate observations, particularly in least-developed countries.

According to him, Nigeria had evolved from being a beneficiary of international support to providing technical expertise to other countries, citing its assistance to Burkina Faso as an example of growing regional cooperation.
Kull said investments in Nigeria’s weather and climate services had been estimated to yield economic returns of 19 to one, showing the potential benefits of strengthening the sector.