The Nigerian Meteorological Agency met on Tuesday with representatives from Vaisala (Finland) and Meteo France International (MFI) to discuss a DBO partnership with Vaisala and MFI. The discussions aimed at addressing capacity gaps in weather and climate observation, held on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Executive Council.
The potential DBO partnership with Vaisala and MFI, led by Chairman Patrick Benichou, involves designing solutions for NiMet. If implemented, the DBO model could enhance weather and climate observation, forecasting, and the dissemination of early warning information.
A DBO, or Design, Build, Operate, often serves as a project delivery method for infrastructure and service-oriented projects. In a DBO model, a single contractor or consortium is responsible for the design, construction, and operation of a project. It ensures that designers and builders focus on long-term operational efficiency for projects.
NiMet Director General, Prof. Charles Anosike, serving as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the WMO, emphasized providing effective, people-centered solutions. “We must work towards achieving a human-centered early warning system,” Anosike stated. He highlighted the need to invest in community capacity to improve the socio-economic lives of Nigerians.
Anosike also highlighted Nigeria’s crucial role in West Africa, especially in delivering multi-hazard early warnings for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The partnership with Vaisala and MFI holds great promise by leveraging their global expertise and experience in observation and forecasting solutions, including projects in Angola and Ethiopia.
Targeted sectors for the DBO model include aviation, agriculture, hydrometeorology, marine, and disaster risk reduction. The anticipated benefits of this partnership encompass capacity and technology transfer, sustainable financing mechanisms, post-installation support, and change management.
