As Nigeria joins the world to commemorate the World Meteorological Day (WMD), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has called for more investment in early warning systems in order to mitigate the impact of climate change such as the heatwave, lost of lives, among others.
The director-general of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, stated this at an event to mark the 2025 World Meteorological Day celebration in Abuja on Monday.
He further called for more modernised hydrometeorological infrastructure to enhance early warning and a solid step towards reducing the early warning gaps.
He also said the agency has continue to work towards upgrading its weather systems, providing quality observation and robust weather forecasts to trigger pre-emptive measures and equip stakeholders with the necessary tools to interpret early warnings and respond with early actions.
Anosike stated that, “Investing in early warning systems not only saves countless lives and livelihood, it generates ten times return on investment and strengthen economies.
“Of course, we’re excited by the progress made in expanding early warning systems coverage worldwide as we continued to experience increasing climate variability and extreme weather events.
“To support this global endeavour, the Nigerian meteorological agency has been engaged in strengthening forecasting and dissemination capabilities to ensure communities and individuals prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
“Modernized hydrometeorological infrastructure is key to enhancing early warning and a solid step towards reducing the early warning gaps.
At NiMet, we continue to work towards upgrading our weather systems, providing quality observation and robust weather forecasts to trigger pre-emptive measures and equip stakeholders with the necessary tools to interpret early warnings and respond with early actions.”
Also speaking, the representative of World Meteorological Organisation’s secretary-general, Prof. Celeste Saulo, said, “Today, humanity is faced with the challenges of Climate Change. The world witnessed the hottest ten years on record in 2024. The year 2024 was also confirmed as the hottest year on record and is likely to be the first calendar year to temporarily hit 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial era.
“In Nigeria, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, windstorms, floods, and dry spells has witnessed an increase in the last 10 years with huge implications for human lives and socio-economic development.
“WMO’s top overriding priority is to ensure that early warning systems protect everyone, everywhere on the planet. To achieve this, international collaboration is more important than ever before, hence the theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day which is “Closing the Early Warnings Gap Together.”
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