The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to enhance earth system observations and support sustainable socioeconomic development across Nigeria.
The renewed commitment was made on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Director General and Chief Executive of NASRDA, Dr. Mathew Adepoju, to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike.
The two agencies said closer cooperation would enable them to leverage their respective mandates to deliver more accurate and reliable earth observation services capable of supporting national planning, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and economic development.
Speaking during the meeting, Prof. Anosike reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to deepening its partnership with NASRDA, stressing that meteorological observations remain critical to safeguarding lives and property, supporting climate-smart decision-making, strengthening community resilience and improving anticipatory action against weather and climate-related hazards.
He also highlighted NiMet’s drive towards greater adoption of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to enhance operational efficiency and improve service delivery.
On his part, Dr. Adepoju proposed stronger collaboration in the development of a meteorological satellite, noting that such an initiative would position Nigeria as a leader in space weather observation on the African continent.
He also identified other areas of cooperation, including meteorological support for the operationalisation of hot-air balloons as well as joint capacity building through knowledge sharing, skills development and specialised training.
Both chief executives underscored the importance of increased private sector participation in strengthening Nigeria’s earth observation ecosystem. They also agreed to review and update the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies to make it more forward-looking, actionable and capable of delivering measurable contributions to sustainable national socioeconomic development.
