The Nigerian government has solicited the support of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in the areas of training, skills acquisition, increased fellowship opportunities for NiMet staff, and early warnings capacity development for industrial professionals.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, spoke on the sideline of the ongoing Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference (AeroMetSci-2024) organised by the Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM).
Keyamo and the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike, were among the Nigerian delegation participating in the conference.
The minister advocated for increased WMO presence in Nigeria recognising the WMO sub-regional office located and supported by Nigeria.
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He pledged that Nigeria would continue to fulfill its statutory obligations to the regional office in Abuja and to the WMO headquarters.
The minister, having approved that Nigeria develop a national road map of early warnings in line with the WMO Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, requested for WMO’s support to actualise the EW4All road map.
Keyamo highlighted the role of meteorology in nation-building and aviation safety and the importance of Nigeria within the region, regarding technical assistance and capacity development initiatives for other member states.
The conference which gathered professionals and industry players within the WMO, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), academics, research, and aviation communities will be held at WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21 to 25 October 2024.
The theme of the conference is: “Aviation, weather and climate: scientific research and development for enhanced aeronautical meteorological services in a changing climate”.
Among the Nigerian delegation are the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Abiodun Richards Adejola, and Engr Farouk Ahmed Umar, the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
The Nigerian delegation used the sideline of the conference to hold a strategic meeting with Professor Celeste Saulo, the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to discuss bilateral relations between Nigeria and the WMO.
Speaking, Prof. Anosike said that WMO support is required for the proposal for Nigeria to become a Regional WIGOS Centre and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Centre of Excellence. He appreciated the WMO for the support received during the training programme on NWP and affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to support member states within the region.
Responding, the WMO secretary general acknowledged the role of Nigeria in ensuring that no country is left behind in the region and its support in helping to develop other meteorological services in the region.
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