(First Row) Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, Director General of NiMET Prof Charles Anosike and the Director General of National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) during the official unveiling of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction in Abuja.
By Victoria Onehi
The Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC),Mrs. Omotenioye Majekodunmi,says as climate variability and extreme weather events continue to intensify, the relevance of early warning systems and actionable climate intelligence cannot be overstated.
Majekodunmi stated this in her goodwill message at the public presentation of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in Abuja recently.
She said SCP, with its sector-specific insights and sub-national outlooks, directly supports Nigeria’s commitment to anticipatory action, climate adaptation, and evidence-driven policy implementation under the Nigerian Climate Change Act.
She noted that in 2025, Nigeria submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, a more robust and ambitious climate plan that targets significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening national adaptation efforts.
“The successful implementation of this NDC—and indeed Nigeria’s Net-Zero ambitions—will depend greatly on the availability of accurate, science-based data, as well as strong systems for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). In this regard, NiMet plays a critical and indispensable role in providing the climate data and early warning intelligence required to support credible implementation, tracking, and accountability.” She said.
She commended NiMet for its continued leadership in providing timely, science-based climate information that underpins national planning, safeguards lives and livelihoods, and strengthens Nigeria’s climate resilience. The Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) remains a critical national tool—guiding decision-making across agriculture, aviation, water resources, disaster risk management, health, energy, infrastructure, and other key sectors of our economy.
Speaking at the event the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo,described the SCP as a strategic national tool that translates climate science into actionable guidance for government, the private sector and citizens.
Keyamo noted that the annual SCP presentation has become a critical national reference, with clear testimonies from government institutions and private sector operators on how NiMet’s early warning products have enhanced agricultural productivity and strengthened disaster risk reduction efforts.
“Climate variability and climate change are no longer distant threats; they are daily realities shaping aviation safety, food security, infrastructure development, national security and economic decisions. Timely and accurate weather and climate information is now a strategic enabler of good governance and sustainable development,” he stated.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NiMet and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike, described the SCP as a critical national tool for addressing the growing impacts of climate variability and extreme weather events.
Anosike disclosed that NiMet has continued to strengthen its operational capacity through the adoption of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance forecasting accuracy and service delivery. He revealed that the Agency has recently constituted a dedicated team of experts to integrate and operationalise AI in its forecasting operations.
