Chinedu Eze
Meteorology performs crucial function in air journey, as specialists insist that climate is a major issue contributing roughly between 11 per cent and 23 per cent of world air mishaps.
In Nigeria, unhealthy climate had contributed to some of the tragic air crashes within the nation, just like the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 which crashed on the Port Harcourt Airport on December 10, 2005, killing 108 folks.
In addition to pilot error, accident report indicated that the plane encountered extreme thunderstorms, diminished visibility, and a microburst-induced wind shear throughout its ultimate descent.
Also, unhealthy climate performed a job within the ADC Airlines Flight 053, which crashed on October 29, 2006 shortly after takeoff from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with 96 fatalities. The crash was partly attributed to extreme climate and wind shear circumstances.
This brings to focus the significance of having correct climate report, which is the accountability of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET). However, within the two accidents, it was famous that official studies and investigations indicated that the pilots determined to take off within the (ADC case) and land (within the Sosoliso case) regardless of identified deteriorating climate circumstances and warnings from the management tower advising in opposition to flight operations throughout the heavy rainstorm and unhealthy climate.
These points got here up on the three-day 2026 Alliance for Hydromet Development Annual Meeting held on the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos, which ended yesterday.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in his opening remarks stated correct meteorological knowledge remained crucial in-flight operations as a result of pilots depend upon dependable climate studies to fly safely.
The minister stated this may deliver to the fore the essential function the Nigeria Meteorological Agency performs in air journey and different sectors of the financial system, together with agriculture and maritime.
Keyamo emphasised that with out exact meteorological monitoring and timeous warnings, air journey can be fraught with extreme hazards, delays, and catastrophic cancellations.
The three-day high-level worldwide gathering, working from October 13 to fifteen, marked the primary time an African nation was internet hosting the annual assembly of the Alliance for Hydromet Development.
“Without NiMet, we wouldn’t even be safe, we can’t walk, and that’s what leads to flight delays and cancellations. For us in aviation, NiMet’s services are a matter of life and death,” the minister stated.
Keyamo additional revealed that the federal authorities, underneath President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seen climate and local weather companies as strategic nationwide property and demanding public items, disclosing that with a view to enhance workers morale and enhance service supply throughout the sector, the federal government just lately carried out an upgraded welfare package deal for NiMet workers, fulfilling pledges made upon his assumption of workplace.
He additionally highlighted authorities efforts to bridge local weather finance gaps by way of the newly established Nigerian Climate Investment Platform, focusing on $500 million for climate-resilient infrastructure and early warning methods.
The Director-General and CEO of NIMET, Professor Charles Anosike, alerted that Africa confronted a niche in primary climate and local weather knowledge, holding roughly 30 per cent of all the world statement deficit.
Delivering his welcome handle, Anosike urged improvement banks, monetary establishments, and personal buyers to urgently rally behind hydrometeorological infrastructure funding.
He emphasised that extreme knowledge gaps in growing nations actively undermined world forecasting accuracy at a time when local weather dangers are intensifying.
Pointing out the size of the continent’s vulnerability, Anosike revealed that Africa possessed solely about 12.5 per cent, one-eighth of the minimal climate station density beneficial by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Across 53 African nations, compliance charges for primary knowledge change stood at a mere seven p.c for floor land stations and 9 p.c for upper-air stations.
“Modernising weather and climate observation infrastructure requires significant capital investment because public budgets alone cannot cover the high costs of building, upgrading, and maintaining global and regional monitoring networks,” Anosike said, calling for sturdy Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
He defined that in an enormous nation like Nigeria, spanning over 900,000 sq. kilometers, the usual requirement of one station per 100 kilometers leaved intensive rural, agricultural, and border territories with out commonplace monitoring protection as a consequence of restricted public funds.
Anosike traced NiMet’s historic evolution from Nigeria’s first meteorological statement publish established 140 years in the past in Akassa in 1886, by way of early colonial climate stations and the 1937 British West African Meteorological Services, to its statutory institution as a full-fledged Federal Agency in 2003.
He reaffirmed that NiMet now served because the nation’s authoritative regulator and sole supplier throughout aviation, agriculture, maritime operations, and catastrophe threat administration.
In the aviation sector, Anosike disclosed that NiMet has carried out the ISO 9001:2015 commonplace commonplace for aeronautical meteorological companies throughout eight main hub airports, Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Owerri, Osubi, and Yola, whereas working to increase certification nationwide.
He added that the company’s 69-year-old Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Oshodi, Lagos, stood as the primary WMO-accredited coaching facility in Africa to realize ISO certification, serving personnel throughout West Africa and the continent.
Beyond aviation, the NiMet chief emphasised the shift towards co-producing actionable local weather merchandise with customers throughout agriculture, livestock, and the maritime sector.
Partnering with worldwide organisations, AI builders like Tomorrow.io, and insurance coverage suppliers like REX Insurance, NiMet is translating climate intelligence into sensible steering, weather-index insurance coverage, and commodity market threat administration instruments.
He famous that within the blue financial system, the place opposed climate causes roughly 30 per cent of marine accidents, NiMet’s every day maritime forecasts with NIMASA and NIWA have been essential for vessel security.
Addressing catastrophe administration, Anosike careworn Nigeria’s energetic involvement within the United Nations Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative alongside different authorities businesses.
President of World Maritime Organisation (WMO), Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, in his speech, emphasised that Africa remained a strong instance of what alliance can obtain.
He stated that in Nigeria, it was observable that there was inspiring regional management, noting that Nigeria helped to pilot the Country Hydro-Met evaluation and has developed from a profit nation right into a supplier of experience, including that just lately Nigeria helped by supporting Burkina Faso as a peer reviewer.
“The financial profit of Nigeria is wonderful underneath the ECOWAS Hydromet
Initiative, investments in Nigeria’s climate and local weather companies yield an estimated return of 19 to 1. The subsequent 4 years, resulting in 2030, are crucial. Extreme Weather is intensifying, but many nationwide companies nonetheless lack the primary sources to ship life-saving warnings and assist financial progress. Through the UN Early Warnings for All initiative, our objective is obvious: To defend each particular person on Earth with multi-hazard early warning methods. The Alliance performs a central function in reaching this and they’re totally aligned with the upcoming WMO Strategic Plan 2028–2031,” Al Mandous stated.
In a speech, the Special Adviser on Blue Economy to Lagos State Governor, Oluwadamola Emmanuel, known as for the prioritisation of climate and local weather companies, describing it as elementary investments in public security and financial improvement, remarking that it’s mistaken to view meteorology as solely environmental subject and emphasised that it’s extra encompassing than that.
Speaking on behalf of the governor, Emmanuel famous that for a coastal mega-city like Lagos, dependable forecasting and proactive planning have been important to mitigate extreme flooding dangers and keep away from devastating financial losses, recalling that Nigeria’s 2022 floods displaced over 2.4 million folks and prompted roughly $8.4 billion in damages.
The three-day occasion re-emphasised the essential function NIMET performs within the aviation trade in addition to different financial sectors, together with maritime and agriculture.
