Africa accounts for roughly 30 per cent of the global weather observation deficit, raising concerns over forecast accuracy, disaster preparedness and aviation safety. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has called for increased investment to address the growing data gap.
NiMet Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Charles Anosike, disclosed this at the opening of the 2026 Alliance for Hydromet Development Annual Meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, October 13. He urged governments, development partners and private investors to strengthen weather, water and climate monitoring infrastructure.
“Africa today has the largest basic weather and climate data gaps in the world, holding roughly 30% of the global observation deficit,” Anosike said.
He added that Africa has only about 12.5 per cent of the minimum weather-station density recommended by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Compliance rates for surface land and upper-air stations stand at just seven per cent and nine per cent, respectively, across the countries referenced in his address.
Nigeria’s Weather Data Gap Raises Infrastructure Concerns
Anosike said Nigeria’s extensive land area and limited observation infrastructure presented significant challenges for weather monitoring, particularly across rural, agricultural and remote border communities.
“With over 900,000 square kilometres land area, Nigeria requires at least one standard meteorological station for every 100 km to satisfy WMO standards,” he said.
“With limited funding, vast rural, agricultural, and remote border territories are left completely without standard observation stations.”
The data gap could constrain the availability of local observations needed to support forecasting, agricultural planning and flood preparedness. However, the extent of its impact on individual forecasts requires further technical assessment.
Anosike said public budgets alone could not cover the costs of building, upgrading and maintaining modern observation networks.
“Government funding must be paired with private-sector investment in weather radar infrastructure, remote sensing, analytics, and data platforms,” he said.
NiMet Seeks Investment to Close Data Gap
The NiMet chief called on financial institutions, development banks, philanthropic organisations and climate funds to invest in stronger meteorological and hydrological services.
He said reliable climate information had growing economic value, supporting agricultural lending, insurance pricing, infrastructure investment and the assessment of physical climate risks.
“Investment in climate services is a high-impact strategy driven by rising extreme weather events, climate resilience needs, and aviation safety mandates,” Anosike said.
He added that demonstrating the economic value of climate information would strengthen the case for sustained investment.
“If we can effectively demonstrate the economic value of reliable climate information, we will strengthen the case for sustained investment in the systems that generate it,” he said.
Public-private partnerships, he explained, could combine private capital, operational efficiency and risk-sharing with government oversight to expand monitoring infrastructure.
Weather Data Gap Threatens Early Warning Effectiveness
The observation deficit also raises concerns about disaster preparedness and the delivery of timely warnings to vulnerable communities.
NiMet provides daily forecasts, three-day impact-based forecasts, probable flash-flood risk maps, heavy-rainfall forecasts and severe-weather alerts. These products support preparedness and anticipatory action.
However, Anosike stressed that forecasts must reach people at risk in a useful and timely form.
“A forecast is not an early warning until it reaches the people at risk in a form that they can understand and, importantly, early enough for them to act,” he said.
NiMet is working with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders to implement Nigeria’s Early Warnings for All roadmap.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the entire warning chain, from risk knowledge and observation to forecasting, communication and preparedness.
NiMet Explores AI Weather Advisories for Farmers
Beyond disaster management, NiMet is exploring artificial intelligence and digital advisory systems to translate weather information into practical guidance for farmers.
Anosike said the agency was working with AIM4Scale and Tomorrow.io on technology-based approaches to improve the delivery of agricultural weather advice.
NiMet also provides seasonal climate predictions, daily and dekadal forecasts, agrometeorological advisories, rainfall outlooks and temperature forecasts. These services support farmers, agricultural extension workers, agribusinesses and policymakers.
The agency also collaborates with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), providing daily maritime weather forecasts to support vessel safety and operational efficiency.
Closing Africa’s weather data gap will require more than improved forecasting technology. It will also require sustained investment in observation networks, stronger institutional cooperation and effective communication of warnings.
For Nigeria, these efforts have implications for aviation safety, flood preparedness, agricultural productivity and climate resilience.
