The Director of the Regional Coordination Office of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Mr. Ishaam Abader, paid a strategic visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in Abuja on Thursday, 14th May 2026. The visit focused on strengthening institutional cooperation, enhancing regional partnerships, and reviewing ongoing WMO-supported initiatives aimed at improving weather, climate, and hydrological services within the African region.
Welcoming the delegation, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, who also serves as the Permanent Representative of Nigeria with the WMO, presented an overview of the Agency’s strategic priorities, regional engagements, and ongoing institutional reforms. He highlighted NiMet’s growing role in supporting aviation safety, food security, disaster risk reduction, public health, climate resilience, and national security through the provision of timely and impact-based weather and climate information services.
Professor Anosike disclosed that NiMet recently launched its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan that is designed to reposition the Agency for enhanced service delivery, innovation, operational efficiency, and regional leadership in meteorological services.
The NiMet DG further highlighted the Agency’s active participation in several regional programmes under the WMO framework, including the Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP), Technical Assistance initiatives, Early Warnings for All Initiative, and the Peer Advisory Services under the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) projects being implemented in Liberia, Somalia, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Speaking on technological advancement within the meteorological sector, Professor Anosike revealed that NiMet is leading the initiative on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into operational forecasting activities in support of more accurate, impact-based actionable predictions. The Regional Training Centre in Lagos has also been transformed to provide remote learning opportunities in addition to classroom training.
In his remarks, Mr. Ishaam Abader expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria for providing resources and a conducive working environment for the WMO Office in the Region for North Central and West Africa hosted in Abuja and commended the Agency for its remarkable contributions to meteorological development in Nigeria and across the African continent.
Addressing the issue of capacity development, Mr. Abader emphasized that regional training remains highly cost-effective and operationally efficient. He further reaffirmed the commitment of the WMO to supporting collaborations, knowledge exchange, and regional capacity development initiatives while assuring NiMet of continued cooperation and institutional support.
