By Adam Said Adam, Kano
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo, Imo State, to enhance research, capacity building, and the delivery of weather and climate services in Nigeria.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the NiMet headquarters in Abuja, the Director General/CEO of NiMet, Charles Anosike, said the partnership with universities is part of efforts to expand the agency’s observation network and improve the availability of realtime, localized weather data for academic research and national development.
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Prof Anosike noted that the collaboration will support the installation of an observation station within the university to generate local weather data, improve location specific forecasting, and strengthen research and training for students and researchers.
The DG further explained that the partnership will also help downscale NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction to farmers in vulnerable communities, enabling climate smart agricultural decisions and supporting food security in Nigeria.
Appreciating NiMet’s collaborative efforts, the Vice Chancellor of UAES, Christopher Eze, described the partnership as a significant step toward advancing climate and environmental research. He noted that the university will leverage its agricultural extension expertise to support the dissemination of climate information to farmers and other stakeholders across the South-East.
Both institutions noted that the MoU represents an important step in strengthening collaboration between academia and Nigeria’s national weather agency to address climate challenges and promote the practical application of weather and climate information for sustainable development.
