Meteorological Services in Nigeria started in 1887 at Akassa (In present-day Bayelsa State). Following, Later in 1891, within the premises of the Public Works Department (PWD), followed in Ilorin by 1907(Present Day, Kwara State. In 1909 it started in Lokoja (Present day Kogi State), then by 1911 in Zungeru (Present day Niger State) finally in Kano (Kano State) by 1949.

By 1937, it became one of the Constituent services of the British West African Meteorological Services of Pre Nigeria. Observing weather in Nigeria started over 130 years ago. The Colonial Administration had set up Meteorological Offices at various locations in both the then Southern and Northern Protectorates.

By 1949, the service became a full-fledged department and was one of the seven colonial departmental structures used in running Nigeria. The meteorological department was subsequently domiciled in the various ministries at different times with the introduction of the ministerial form of Government. It was semi-autonomously operated which differed from regular operations in the Ministry.

Over time the Federal Government of Nigeria realised the strategic importance of weather in our daily life, hence the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to approve the setting of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) by an act of government on the 21st of May 2003. It became effective on the 19th of June 2003 following Presidential assent.

In 2019, the bill to repeal the 2003 act was first read on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday 19th of July 2019 to provide for a more comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the regulation of meteorology in Nigeria.

In 2022, the NiMet establishment act 2003 was repealed and replaced by the NiMet establishment act 2022 and signed into law by President Muhamadu Buhari on the 31st of August 2022. The New establishment act grants the Agency the sole authority to grant approvals and licenses for the establishment of Meteorological stations and other related matters.