The Nigerian Meteorological Agency conducted NiMet metadata exercises to evaluate the functionality and effectiveness of its weather observation stations. These exercises assessed various vital elements, including equipment condition, personnel availability, infrastructure maintenance, and data quality. NiMet’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to enhancing the precision and dependability of its observation systems. These improvements aim to better serve the Nigerian populace and sectors that rely on accurate meteorological data.
NiMet still relies on unreliable and unverified metadata information. Therefore, we must collate accurate metadata for all surface-based observing stations, including AWOS under the WMO Integrated Global Observing System. This metadata features station histories and records suitable for national, regional, and global purposes, making it indispensable. Give utmost attention to observational metadata, which includes information on the capabilities of observing stations and their instruments. Observational metadata also encompasses the methods of observation used, ensuring comprehensive and reliable data collection and analysis.
Metadata provides basic and relevant information about the data. The administration of data that describes other data is essential to the quality and validity of both structured and unstructured data. To this end, it is crucial to have accurate metadata information in the agency’s database.
Speaking on the exercise’s necessity, the Director General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, emphasized its importance. He said, “On assuming office in December 2023, NiMet management realized that most of NiMet’s metadata information was inaccurate.” In the past, we made efforts to gather and collect exact raw metadata information from various locations of Meteorological Stations. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, leaving many stations without accurate metadata. Some locations lack WMO ID, ICAO ID, Latitude, Longitude, Elevation, etc., making accurate updates essential. Some locations in Nigeria, when plotted, fall outside the country’s national geographical boundary and territorial waters. Therefore, we must update NiMet metadata to ensure accuracy and reliability for future operations.
Furthermore, Anosike said, “Metadata information is crucial for better organization of data and improved interoperability and integration.” Its optimal use helps to gather better insights to improve product generation, upgrade processes, and ensure grid alignment of coordinates, as well as storing unstructured data such as images, videos, web pages, and spreadsheets.”
“Conclusively, we successfully completed the NiMet metadata exercises; we updated all the stations in Nigeria and are currently uploading the data to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Oscar platform.”
