By Victoria Onehi
The Director-General/CEO, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and Permanent Representative of Nigeria with World Meteorological Organisation, Prof. Charles Anosike has said the organisation will continue to expand and modernise Nigeria’s meteorological infrastructure.
Anosike stated this in his address during the celebration of World Meteorological Day 2026 in Abuja on Wednesday.
Anosike said the World Meteorological Day gives the opportunity to celebrate scientific achievements in meteorology, as well as to reflect on how weather and climate services support sustainable development, safeguard lives, and strengthen economic resilience across nations.
He said the theme for this year’s celebration, “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow” reminds stakeholders of a simple but important truth: which is that the quality of tomorrow’s forecasts depends on the observations made today.
Anosike said: “Weather and climate observations form the backbone of the science of meteorology. Every forecast, every early warning, and every climate outlook begins with accurate, timely, and reliable observations collected from land, water, air, and space.
“Over the years, NiMet has continued to expand and modernise Nigeria’s meteorological infrastructure. Our surface and upper-air observation networks, satellite data reception systems, and automatic weather stations provide the critical data required for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. These observations support safer aviation operations, improved agricultural planning, better disaster preparedness, maritime safety, and more informed decision-making across all sectors of the economy.
“Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow” is more than a theme, but a call to action, which is critical, imminent, and obligatory. We are essentially emphasising on investing today in the data and systems that will safeguard our future. Every weather station installed today, every observation collected today improves our understanding of the atmospheric dynamics for decades to come and strengthens our predictability of future weather and climate events.”Anosike said.
In his goodwill message,the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Capt. Chris Najomo said the theme “Observing Today” reminds stakeholders that the safety of our skies depends on real-time, high-precision data. “From detecting microbursts and wind shear at our airports to monitoring clear-air turbulence at 35,000 feet. These critical data allow our pilots, aerodrome operators and air traffic controllers to make life saving decisions quickly and with precision.
“Protecting Tomorrow”, in my view, is where our greatest opportunities lie. As at 2026, we are witnessing a climate that is shifting more rapidly than ever before. Extreme weather events are no longer outliers; they are becoming part of our operational baseline.
“I will summarise this concept in two ways:
“Enhancing Resilience: NIMET is expected to invest in weather-resilient infrastructure to ensure our airports remain operational during extreme heatwaves and storms.
“Technological Integration: NIMET should leverage on Artificial Intelligence and advanced satellite data to create to ensure the flight safety and regularity.”
