The Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi has faulted calls in some quarters for the creation of a separate and parallel Climate Change Agency (CCA).
According to him, the establishment of such body would amount to a duplication of functions already being carried out by an existing agency, NiMet.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Mashi said NiMet was established by an Act of Parliament in 2003 to provide weather services in marine, environmental and bio-meteorology for climatic and human health activities.
He noted that so far, all stakeholders are unanimous in their agreement that the agency has been carrying out this role both effectively and efficiently.
"Therefore I see no reason for the creation of a new body with similar functions", he said.
He said government should look at cutting costs and not creating another body with essentially the same roles to avoid a waste of scarce resources during recession.
He said: "Since its inception in 2003 NiMet has played, and continues to play crucial, critical and strategic roles in fulfillment of its mandate including the issue of Climate Change hence the major authoritative voice on climate issues in Nigeria as recognized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a technical and specialized Agency of the United Nations (UN).
"Furthermore, NiMet is the repository of the National archive of climate data in Nigeria. The climate data bank has data spanning over a century from over 60 synoptic stations spread across the nation. There are no meaningful climate studies or policy developments that can be conducted without credible climate data. This climate data can only be found in NiMet. NiMet also has the largest concentration of climatologists in the country and these resources are always used to produce the scientific basis for climate change in Nigeria".
Prof. Mashi said instead of creating a parallel agency, NiMet should be reorganized and strengthened to improve its performance.
The DG however welcome plan to create the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), saying the Council should be saddled with the responsibility to "supervise NiMet".
He faulted other provisions in the proposed bill currently before the National Assembly for failing to include the DG/CEO of NiMet, the nation’s sole repository of climate data in the said Council.
Another area he picked holes in the proposed bill is the exclusion of the Nigerian Meteorological Society (NMS), the national professional body on meteorology and meteorological applications in Nigeria from membership of the Council, describing it as a grave omission that must be rectified before enacting the law.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
