Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, has emphasised that IT is essential to modern meteorological services, enabling accurate forecasting, real-time data collection, analysis, and dissemination. He made this known during a courtesy visit to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, on 3rd November 2025 at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. The visit focused on strengthening collaboration and exploring areas where both agencies can leverage Information Communication and Technology to advance national development.
Welcoming the NiMet team, Mr. Inuwa noted that the relationship between both institutions was long overdue. However, he described the renewed engagement as timely, saying “better late than never.” He explained that technology serves as a powerful tool for transformation across all sectors and reaffirmed the NITDA’s commitment to deepening technology adoption within critical national industries. According to him, every profession now depends on digital solutions to enhance efficiency, productivity, and impact.
Building on this point, Professor Anosike stressed that IT remains a vital instrument for weather forecasting and the interpretation of complex climate data. He said the planned partnership will further boost the credibility and accuracy of NiMet’s services, especially for sectors such as aviation, agriculture, the blue economy, and disaster risk management. Therefore, both institutions must work closely to ensure that technological innovation drives Nigeria’s climate intelligence systems.
Professor Anosike also shared that NiMet has developed strong internal capacity through innovation. He revealed that the agency’s technical staff designed and built an indigenous weather solution known as METEOWIZ. The system, which was developed entirely in-house, represents a milestone achievement as the first of its kind in Africa. This feat showcases how IT can help build homegrown solutions capable of addressing local and regional meteorological needs.
He added that the partnership with NITDA would not only help standardise this innovation but could also enable the export of such technology to other African countries. According to him, NiMet’s collaboration with NITDA will support research, digital transformation, and the creation of new tools that will make weather data more accessible to users across different sectors.
Both NITDA and NiMet have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their partnership. The MoU will focus on using ICT to improve meteorological data management, expand digital service delivery, and support innovation projects that align with national digital economy objectives. In addition, the agencies will jointly develop capacity-building programmes and explore projects that promote the integration of advanced technologies into NiMet’s operations.
During the discussions, the two Director Generals also agreed to establish a joint technical committee. The committee will identify specific collaborative projects and oversee their implementation, ensuring measurable impact on service delivery. The initiatives will concentrate on scaling digital solutions, improving public access to weather information, and enhancing Nigeria’s readiness for emerging climate challenges.
Professor Anosike’s visit to Mr. Inuwa marked a significant step towards building a strategic alliance that unites meteorological science and information technology. The alignment of efforts between both parastatals is expected to drive innovation, strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, and improve public service delivery.
Through the use of Information Communication Technology, NiMet aims to make weather information smarter, faster, and more reliable, ensuring that stakeholders across aviation, agriculture, and maritime sectors can plan better and respond swiftly to environmental changes.
