By Nkechi Eze
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Professor Charles Anosike, has inspected and commissioned NiMet’s Meteorological Data Rescue Project, describing it as a landmark initiative aimed at preserving Nigeria’s climate heritage and significantly strengthening the nation’s scientific and forecasting capacity.
The project is designed to secure invaluable historical weather and climate records, some of which date as far back as the 19th century and were previously at risk of permanent loss. These records include handwritten observation logs, ship logs and early instrumental measurements that extend Nigeria’s documented climate history beyond the digital era and fill critical gaps in existing national and regional archives.
Through a systematic process of recovery, preservation and digitisation, the Data Rescue Project safeguards Nigeria’s analogue climate history and ensures its long-term accessibility for scientific and operational use. The rescued data are expected to support improved climate modelling, enhance weather forecasting accuracy, strengthen disaster risk reduction efforts and inform evidence-based policymaking. They also provide vital historical context for understanding present climate trends and projecting future weather and climate patterns.
Speaking during the inspection and commissioning of the project, Professor Anosike described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future, noting that it goes far beyond record-keeping. According to him, the project transforms fragile historical documents into a robust scientific resource that will underpin climate resilience, sustainable development planning and the delivery of advanced meteorological services to critical sectors of the economy.
He explained that the initiative aligns with global best practices promoted by the World Meteorological Organization and reflects NiMet’s ongoing commitment to modernisation and digital transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. By rescuing and digitising historical atmospheric data, the Agency is also strengthening Nigeria’s contribution to global climate science and ensuring that decades of observations can be integrated into modern analytical systems and decision-making frameworks.
With the successful commissioning of the Meteorological Data Rescue Project, NiMet has reaffirmed its leadership in climate data stewardship, digital preservation and the strategic application of science and technology in support of national development, climate resilience and public safety.
