Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has raised concerns over the persistent funding challenge confronting the agency, saying that most of its statutory obligations are implemented by its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Despite this challenge, NiMET reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening weather and climate information services, describing it as a critical tool for protecting public health and building community resilience across the country.

Speaking at the ongoing Weather and Climate Information Services for Health (Wiser-Health) Workshop for health sectors, including the Federal Ministry of Health and strategic partners in Lagos, the Director of Research and Training, NiMet, Prof. Peter Odjugo, stated that NiMet did not receive budgetary allocation from the Federal Government in 2025, just like in recent years.

Odjugo explained that the agency largely depended on its IGR to carry out its statutory responsibilities despite the growing importance of climate services to national development.

He emphasised that the climate-health relationship was critical to the environment and national well-being.
Odjugo stated that the workshop aimed to develop an integrated climate and health early warning system in response to Nigeria’s updated climate commitments.

In her comment, the Head of Health at the British High Commission in Abuja, Juliet Whitley, said that Nigeria was leading the way in developing an early warning system that would better enable its health sector to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.

The Director and Head of Climate Change and Environmental Health Division, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Zakariya Mohammed, in his comment, expressed that with the integration of health considerations into Nigeria’s recently submitted its third
Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), the workshop provides a good starting point for collaborative efforts towards establishing an operational early warning system for climate and health in Nigeria.

MEANWHILE, the Deputy Spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Mr Philip Agbese, has expressed optimism that the appointment of Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance will help to resolve the persistent problem of zero capital releases to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), a development that has unsettled the economy and sparked protests by contractors.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, nominated Oyedele to replace Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, who has been redeployed as Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, her third portfolio under the current administration. The nomination has been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.

Agbese, who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday, remarked that Oyedele’s appointment came at a critical time when contractors had raised serious concerns over stalled payments and the non-release of capital funds to MDAs.

Agbese stressed that restoring confidence between contractors and public institutions must be treated as a priority, adding that fiscal discipline, improved transparency and strengthened payment systems were essential to ensuring capital projects progress as planned.