Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has, during a visit to the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Prof. Andrea Saulo, solicited operational support for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The minister harped on enhancing capacity building and developing a national roadmap for the United Nations’ Early Warnings for-All initiative, among other key areas.
Keyamo made this known through a post on his X handle on Thursday.
The minister, accompanied by the DG of Nimet, Prof. Charles Anosike, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Amb. Abiodun Adejola, and some technical staff from NIMet, visited the Secretary-General and requested WMO support for the agency’s implementation of Digital Climate Advisory Services for sectoral activities in Nigeria.
The minister emphasized the crucial need for training aeronautical meteorological personnel in Nigeria, urging the Secretary General to support capacity building for Nigerian officials.
This appeal prioritizes enhancing the skills of these personnel to ensure improved meteorological services, he said.
The post reads: “Yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, I led a team comprising the DG of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Prof. Charles Anosike, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Amb. Abiodun Richards Adejola, and some technical staff of NIMeT to meet the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Professor Andrea Celeste Saulo.
“Amongst other issues, we tabled the following requests before the WMO: training opportunities for aeronautical meteorological personnel in Nigeria.
“Support to assist Nigeria launch a national roadmap in respect of the Early Warnings for-All initiative by the United Nations that is built on four pillars. The WMO support for NiMet in implementing Digital Climate Advisory Services(DCAS) for sectoral activities in Nigeria.
“The WMO support to assist Nimet for the hosting of the Numerical Weather Prediction Regional Centre of Excellence. Nigeria has been providing technical support to Liberia and Sierra Leone in this regard.
“Increased Fellowship opportunities for Members (Nigeria in particular) as well as the support of WMO in implementing Data Rescue support.”
In a separate statement from NiMet, the Secretary-General of the WMO recognized Nigeria’s contribution to ensuring that no African nation falls behind in the development of other meteorological services.
Saulo further hailed the Nigerian government’s support being received by the Meteorological Service of Nigeria while emphasising the importance of such support, especially towards resource mobilisation for improved service delivery and early warning system improvement.
While promising her support for regional centres for meteorology and climate change, she specifically pledged her support and that of the WMO for Nigeria, “considering the strategic importance of the country to the development of meteorological services.”
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