Africa’s weather data gap is threatening forecast accuracy, disaster preparedness and economic resilience, prompting the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to demand urgent investment in weather and climate services. WMO President Dr Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous warned that the next four years would be critical to closing capacity gaps ahead of the 2030 target.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Alliance for Hydromet Development in Lagos, Al Mandous called for stronger national meteorological services, improved governance and expanded regional cooperation. He stressed that early warnings must translate into early action that protects lives and livelihoods.
WMO Chief Sets Four Priorities for 2030
Al Mandous said the Alliance for Hydromet Development, launched at COP25 in Madrid in 2019, had made progress through national capacity assessments, data-driven gap reports and long-term financing for basic weather observations.
However, he warned that intensifying extreme weather events were exposing the limitations of national services that lack adequate resources. Through the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative, he said the objective remained to protect every person on Earth through multi-hazard early-warning systems.
He identified four priorities for the period leading to 2030: increased investment in national meteorological and hydrological services; stronger legislation and institutional governance; partnerships serving agriculture, water, energy, transport and health; and expanded regional cooperation.
Al Mandous also highlighted Nigeria’s growing regional role. He said the country had progressed from receiving support to providing expertise, including serving as a peer reviewer for Burkina Faso. He added that investments in Nigeria’s weather and climate services under the ECOWAS Hydromet Initiative were estimated to generate returns of 19 to one.
NiMet Seeks Private Investment to Close Weather data Gaps
Professor Charles Anosike said Nigeria and other African countries need stronger investment in weather-monitoring infrastructure to improve forecast reliability and support climate resilience. He warned that limited public funding was insufficient to meet the high costs of establishing, upgrading and maintaining observation networks.
The NiMet Director-General called for financial institutions, development banks, climate funds and private investors to help close the infrastructure gap. He identified weather radar, remote sensing, data analytics and digital platforms as areas where public-private partnerships could accelerate modernisation.
Anosike also urged stronger links between weather data intelligence and financial decision-making, particularly in agriculture, insurance and infrastructure development. He said demonstrating the economic value of climate information would help attract sustained investment and ensure forecasts translate into practical decisions that protect lives and livelihoods.
Anosike called on financial institutions, development banks, climate funds, philanthropic organisations and private investors to help modernise Africa’s weather observation infrastructure.
He said public budgets alone could not meet the substantial costs of building, upgrading and maintaining monitoring networks. He therefore advocated public-private partnerships covering weather radar infrastructure, remote sensing, data analytics and digital platforms.
According to the NiMet chief, reliable weather information has growing value for agricultural lending, insurance pricing, infrastructure investment and corporate climate-risk assessments. Demonstrating these economic benefits, he argued, would strengthen the case for sustained funding.
The agency is also exploring artificial intelligence and digital advisory systems to translate weather information into practical guidance for farmers. Its partnerships include initiatives supporting climate-informed agriculture, weather-index insurance and better access to high-resolution climate information.
Anosike further highlighted the importance of maritime forecasting, saying approximately 30 per cent of marine accidents were linked to adverse weather conditions. The statistic was cited in his address and requires independent verification before being treated as an established industry-wide finding.
Nigeria Government Implements New Remuneration Package for Meteorologists
In a related development, Anosike credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with approving and implementing a comprehensive remuneration package for NiMet personnel.
He described the measure as an important development for staff welfare, professional recognition and institutional lfforts to deliver reliable weather and climate services.
Anosike also traced Nigeria’s meteorological history to 1886, when the first observation station was established at Akassa, in present-day Bayelsa State. The service subsequently expanded to locations including Lagos in 1891, Ilorin in 1907, Lokoja in 1909 and Zungeru in 1911, before the establishment of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency in 2003.
Investment Must Translate Into Early Action
Both officials emphasised that better forecasts depend on sustained investment in observation systems, stronger institutions and effective partnerships.
For Al Mandous, the priority is to turn assessments into investments, investments into lasting capacity, and early warnings into early action. For Nigeria and the wider continent, closing the weather data gap will require funding that strengthens observation networks and ensures that reliable information reaches communities and sectors exposed to climate risks.
The three-day Alliance for Hydromet Development meeting in Lagos, running from October 13 to 15, brings together governments, development partners, financial institutions and technical organisations to advance investment in weather, water and climate services.
