WMO Urges Nigeria to Build Climate Resilience Amid Extreme Weather Threats
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning to Nigeria, urging the nation to significantly strengthen its resilience against the escalating impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. This call to action follows the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, which identifies extreme weather as the foremost long-term global risk.
Africa's Warming Climate and Immediate Threats
Dr. Roland Abah, the WMO representative for North Central and West African Regions, delivered this urgent message during the commemoration of the 2026 World Meteorology Day. He highlighted that Africa has experienced its warmest decade in the last ten years, marked by a disturbing increase in extreme heatwaves, intense rainfall, devastating floods, prolonged droughts, and severe sand and dust storms.
"These are not distant problems, they are today’s reality all over the globe, including in Nigeria," Dr. Abah emphasized, underscoring the immediate nature of the crisis.
Critical Need for Investment in Meteorological Infrastructure
Aligning with this year's theme, "Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow," Dr. Abah stressed that robust global observing and prediction systems are vital for protecting lives and sustaining economic activities. He specifically called for a substantial increase in investment in the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Importantly, Dr. Abah argued that funding should not be the sole responsibility of the government. He appealed to the private sector and international development partners to actively support NiMet, noting that these entities are key beneficiaries of accurate climate and weather services. Sustained investment in meteorological observations is crucial to enhancing early warning systems and securing a safer future.
NiMet's Call for Private Sector Synergy
Echoing this sentiment, the Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, reinforced the need for increased private sector investment in climate and weather-related activities. He detailed how such collaboration is essential to strengthening the nation's meteorological observation systems and advancing weather and climate services.
Prof. Anosike observed that private companies worldwide are increasingly investing in critical technologies, including automated weather stations, advanced remote sensing tools, sophisticated data analytics platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven weather models, and other innovative observation instruments. These investments complement and enhance national meteorological networks.
In recognition of this importance, NiMet's management has proactively entered into several agreements and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various agencies and private partners to improve service delivery. The agency has also expanded its services to several developing countries within the African region.
"The theme of the celebration, 'Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow' is more than a theme, but a call to action which is why we are emphasizing investing today in the data and systems that will safeguard our future," Prof. Anosike stated.
NiMet's Core Mandate and Daily Operations
Further elaborating on the theme, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NiMet, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, explained that "Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow" speaks directly to the agency's fundamental mission.
"At NiMet, observation is not an abstract concept. It is our network of synoptic stations, agrometeorological stations, upper-air stations, marine observations, and more, that we operate daily, often under challenging conditions, to keep Nigeria informed and safe," Oladeji affirmed.
The collective message from the WMO and NiMet leadership is clear: building resilience against extreme weather is an urgent, collective endeavor requiring significant and sustained investment from both public and private sectors to protect Nigeria's future.
