The World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have solicited the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) for support of their climate and weather services initiatives in some African countries including Mozambique, Uganda Zambia, and Singapore in Asia.
The director general and chief executive officer of NiMet, Prof. Sani Mashi disclosed this in Abuja when a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited him at the agency’s headquarters.
He said the synergy was in recognition of NiMet’s track record in providing quality meteorological services and its attainment of ISO 9001: 2015 certification of its aeronautical meteorological services.
“NiMet is the first and still the only meteorological agency in Africa to receive the International Standards Organisation, ISO 9001:2015 certification for the provision of meteorological services for the aeronautical sector, and pledged NiMet’s continuous support for ECOWAS meteorological programmes.
“NiMet is mandated to promote the application of meteorological information to address development, which essentially is what the Global Framework for Application of Climate Services is all about.
“Nigeria has produced a National Framework for the Application of Climate Services (NFACS) that is awaiting presidential approval and explained the pivotal role NiMet played in its preparation,” said Mashi.
He added that the agency provides daily services to other West African countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone, provides technical support to the ECOWAS Commission and trains meteorologists in Benin Republic and the Gambia, amongst others.
Earlier, the director of environment, ECOWAS Commission and leader of the delegation, Dr. Johnson Boanuh, appreciated NiMet’s support for the Commission and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) regional office in Nigeria.
He also said the WMO and the Global Framework for Climate Services Secretariat in Geneva had established an office in Dakar, Senegal to support and facilitate the establishment of NFACS in all ECOWAS member states.
“A part of the programme drawn to facilitate the establishment of the NFACS is geared towards strengthening the capacities of the various National Hydro-Meteorological Services to meet their obligations,” he said adding that the body had commenced the needs assessment programme for ECOWAS member states which would be executed in phases.
