By Chinelo Obogo
A nationwide audit of Nigeria Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) air quality monitoring stations has revealed issues jeopardising public health protection.
The audit which was commissioned in February 2024 by the Director General of NiMeT, Prof. Charles Anosike, revealed that many stations across the country are non-functional due to neglect, poor maintenance, and equipment failures and this has significantly compromised the agency’s ability to collect accurate air quality data. Specifically, the audit highlighted issues such as abandoned projects, missing equipment, and the detrimental effects of unreliable power supply on the stations’ functionality.
The leader of the audit team, Mrs. Olumide Olaniyan, the General Manager, Air Quality Monitoring Unit, reported that the findings of the audit revealed that except for recently installed stations in Sokoto and Yola, the remaining facilities are in a “deplorable state,” hindering their ability to collect accurate air quality data. Other findings showed lack of maintenance and resource allocation by previous management, uncompleted projects and missing equipment, like the case in Kano and Enugu stations, frequent power outages and inadequate backup systems which disrupt operations and damage sensitive equipment and concluded that; “NiMet’s air quality monitoring stations nationwide are in a deplorable state, jeopardizing the agency’s ability to fulfill its critical mandate effectively”.
The report however acknowledges the current administration’s efforts to address the issue through initiatives like equipment upgrades, staff training, and increased funding. The DG, Prof. Anosike, said that it is important that management conducted the audit to have firsthand knowledge of the state of equipment in the agency. “We have been mandated by the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, as part of the 5-point agenda set for Nigeria’s aviation sector to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations and continuous upward movement of Nigeria’s rating by ICAO,” he said.