Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an essential tool for weather forecasting and the analysis of complex climate data, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, has said.
A statement by NiMet said that Anosike made the statement yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa.
Anosike explained that for NiMet to achieve its aim of giving accurate weather information, it required collaboration with other sister agencies.
He noted that this strategic partnership would enhance the credibility of NiMet’s services, benefitting sectors such as aviation, agriculture, the blue economy, and early warning systems for disaster risk management.
Anosike also informed the NITDA team of NiMet’s internal capacity, sharing that the agency’s staff had developed a weather solution known as METEOWIZ.
This innovative solution, developed entirely in-house by NiMet staff, he explained, marked a significant milestone as the first of its kind in Africa, demonstrating the agency’s leadership in meteorological technology.
He added that the partnership with NITDA would not only support standardisation but also pave the way for the future export of technology developed within NiMet.
In his welcome speech, Inuwa acknowledged that this relationship was long overdue. He further emphasised that IT served as a catalytic and powerful tool for transformation across all professions.
Inuwa further highlighted NITDA’s mandate to deepen and accelerate the adoption of technology within critical sectors.
Both agencies agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage ICT for improved meteorological data management and dissemination.
The agencies also planned to explore joint capacity-building initiatives, technological innovations, data management, digital transformation, and collaboration on innovation projects.
The two Directors-General also agreed to constitute a joint technical committee to identify and implement specific collaborative projects.
