NiMet Advocates AI, Satellites Applications To Tackle Climate Change

The director general and chief executive of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike has called for innovative approaches to strengthen climate resilience in Nigeria.
He made the call during the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Conference of the Nigerian Meteorological Society (NMetS) and its 35th Annual General Meeting at the University of Lagos, Akoka.
Anosike emphasised that traditional approaches to meteorology are no longer sufficient to address these complex challenges and stressed on the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI), satellite technologies, and big data analytics in modern meteorology.

He further said AI-driven forecasts, combined with satellite observations and high-performance computing, are now central to NiMet’s operations, enabling accurate, timely, and impact based predictions.
In his keynote address, Prof. Anosike commended NMetS for convening the conference, noting that the theme, “Advancing Meteorology: Harnessing AI, Satellites, and Big Data for Climate Resilience and Sustainability,” underscores the urgent need to translate scientific knowledge into actionable solutions that protect lives, livelihoods, and national development amid rising climate risks.

According to him, “Climate change is no longer a distant concern. It is a lived reality, expressed through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, flooding, droughts, heatwaves, and increasing weather extremes that affect ecosystems, economies, and societies, especially in Africa.”

Anosike also highlighted Nigeria’s evolving climate challenges, including increasing temperature extremes, shifting rainfall patterns, desertification in the north, and coastal erosion in the south.
He highlighted NiMet’s strategic partnerships with AIM for Scale, Ignitia, Tomorrow.io, the Korean Meteorological Authority, and the China Meteorological Administration to integrate AI into operational activities.
The DG also received a fellowship and commendation award in recognition of his contributions to meteorological services.