By Sola Ojo, Abuja
Ahead of the public presentation of the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) early next year, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Tuesday held a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja to discuss the socio-economic impact of the SCP.
Stakeholders from various sectors of the economy commended NiMet for its invaluable contributions to Nigeria’s socio-economic development through the timely release of the SCP document each year.
Welcoming participants, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, described the meeting as an essential step in the preparation of the 2025 SCP document. He emphasised that NiMet is committed to climate-proofing the economy by providing timely weather and climate information.
“Over the years, the SCP has evolved in scope, incorporating the concept of co-development, which is adequately supported by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
“This concept of co-development allows critical stakeholders to participate in the production process of weather and climate information, increasing the depth, accuracy, and relevance of the information provided.
“This approach also enables stakeholders to co-own the weather and climate information generated,” Prof. Anosike said.
“I urge us all to reflect on the observed events from the various components of the 2024 prediction, their socio-economic impacts across sectors, and use our experiences to generate more robust advisories for the 2025 prediction to improve livelihoods, secure the nation’s food security status, and enhance our people’s resilience,” he concluded.
The representative of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in Nigeria, Dr. Bernard Gomez, represented by Dr. Rowland Abah, commended NiMet for consistently issuing the Seasonal Climate Prediction for over 10 years.
“I wish to commend NiMet for organising this stakeholders’ workshop annually. It demonstrates NiMet’s capacity and leadership in forecasting weather and climate conditions.
“This is evident in the fact that NiMet now supports other African countries in producing their forecasts and building their capacity. This is highly commendable,” he stated.
The representative of the Executive Director of Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), a non-governmental organisation, Bilkisu Yakubu, expressed gratitude to Prof. Charles Anosike for ensuring inclusivity at the workshop.
“It is the first time in the history of Nigeria. We are so proud of NiMet because of the hospitality extended to us when we came to sign the MoU. I am very glad that we are working with NiMet.
“Particularly, the DG/CEO Prof. Anosike is an ambassador for inclusivity, especially when it comes to climate change,” she said.