The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), called for enhanced collaboration to address gaps in early warning systems, a critical component in disaster risk reduction.
This call for action was made during the World Meteorological Day commemoration in Abuja on Monday.
Simon Katu, representing the Director General of NEMA, acknowledged existing challenges in the accessibility, understanding, and actionability of early warnings at the community level.
He emphasized the need for continued collaboration among government agencies, meteorologists, emergency responders, development partners, and local communities.
“To close these gaps, we must work together to strengthen early warning dissemination, invest in technology, and build local capacities for risk reduction,” Katu stated.
He further reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to improving disaster preparedness through the use of reliable meteorological data and early warning systems.
“This year’s theme, ‘Closing the Early Warning Gap Together,’ highlights a critical challenge in disaster risk reduction—ensuring that timely and accurate early warning systems reach all communities, particularly those most vulnerable to climate-related hazards,” Katu said.
Katu praised NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction for shaping NEMA’s disaster response strategies, which have been pivotal in preparing for and mitigating the impacts of floods, droughts, and storms.
“By integrating climate forecasts into our planning, we enhance national resilience to extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and storms,” he added.
Charles Anosike, the Director General of NiMet, highlighted the significant returns on investment in early warning systems, both in terms of lives saved and economic stability.
“Investing in early warning systems not only saves countless lives and livelihoods, but it also generates a tenfold return on investment, bolstering economies,” Anosike stated.
Anosike emphasized NiMet’s ongoing efforts to improve meteorological forecasting, enhance dissemination capabilities, and modernize hydrometeorological infrastructure to support disaster preparedness.
“At NiMet, we are committed to upgrading our weather systems, ensuring quality observation, and providing robust weather forecasts to enable stakeholders to take preemptive actions,” he said.
Despite progress in these areas, Anosike acknowledged several challenges, including inadequate funding, limited access to modern technology, fragmented dissemination efforts, insecurity, and maintenance issues that contribute to gaps in early warning systems.
He called for greater collaboration across national and international stakeholders, as well as with the private sector and local communities.
“Government alone cannot do it,” Anosike warned.
Bernard Gomez, a representative of the WMO, underscored the importance of global cooperation in meteorological data exchange, emphasizing that no country can tackle the complexities of weather data collection alone.
“Without WMO coordination and its unified network, each country would face the impossible task of collecting global data on its own,” Gomez noted.
Gomez also pointed out the increasing severity of climate change, citing 2024 as the hottest year on record, with temperatures temporarily surpassing 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
He highlighted the rising frequency and intensity of heatwaves, windstorms, floods, and dry spells in Nigeria over the past decade, noting their significant impact on human lives and socio-economic development.
“The implications of these climate trends for human lives and development are profound,” Gomez added.
