NiMet seeks more funding to prevent weather related disasters

Thursday, September 11, 2025 - The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has called for increased financial support from government agencies, airlines, and other beneficiaries of its services, stressing that sustainable funding is essential to prevent weather-related disasters across the country.

Speaking at the 2025 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum in Lagos on Wednesday, the Director-General of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, said the agency could no longer rely solely on government subventions to meet the rising demand for its critical weather and climate services.

According to him, NiMet’s services are vital to multiple sectors, including agriculture, real estate, the environment, and aviation, but sustaining such services requires continuous investment in technology, training, and retraining of personnel.

“Despite limited resources, the quality of our service has never been compromised. NiMet continues to expand its scope of operations in line with our establishment mandate,” Anosike said. “Hence, this is a clarion call for support across various sectors to recover more costs and improve our overall service delivery.”

He explained that NiMet remains committed to supporting government efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change, enhance food security, and promote climate-smart sustainable development. The agency, he added, is also at the forefront of disaster risk reduction through tailored products and services that support critical sectors of the economy.

Highlighting recent achievements, Anosike disclosed that Nigeria now has five ISO-certified airports, with Enugu Airport becoming the latest to attain the global standard. The other certified airports are located in Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja.

“Our goal is to ensure more airports are brought up to international standards through certification,” he added.

The forum also featured remarks from other key aviation stakeholders. The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engineer Farouk Ahmed, underscored the increasing threats posed by climate change to aviation safety and efficiency.

Represented by NAMA’s Director of Operations, Mr. Tayo John, Ahmed identified disruptions to flight schedules, changes in routes, heightened accident risks, and stress-induced fatigue among pilots and air traffic controllers as some of the major challenges linked to extreme weather conditions.

“Climate-related factors such as turbulence and severe weather events increase the risk of accidents. Heat waves reduce aircraft performance, while flooding and thunderstorms damage airport infrastructure. Rising maintenance costs are also a growing concern,” he said.

According to Ahmed, stakeholder forums such as the Lagos engagement are valuable in providing a platform for developing “domesticated and tropicalised” solutions to climate and weather-related challenges affecting Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., emphasised the critical role of early warnings in building resilience across sectors. He commended NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Predictions and forecasting tools, which, he noted, have been instrumental in disaster preparedness and response, particularly in agriculture, transportation, and emergency management.

“We commend NiMet under the leadership of Professor Anosike for fostering collaboration and inclusivity through this platform. By bringing together stakeholders to share expertise, NiMet is helping to drive actionable solutions,” Badeh said.

He assured that the NSIB remained committed to partnering with NiMet to ensure that early warnings translate into proactive measures capable of protecting lives and property while strengthening Nigeria’s climate resilience agenda.

The Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum, an annual event, brings together players across critical sectors to review progress, share insights, and design strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s response to climate change. This year’s edition placed special focus on sustainable funding for NiMet’s services and the need for stronger partnerships in the face of growing weather-related risks.