BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Hopes of better and total weather coverage the country brightened at the weekend as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a weather station in the university.
The facility, when ready, will provide sound weather information to farmers and others who need weather forecasts to operate successfully.
Professor Charles Esimone signed on behalf of the Governing Council of Unizik while Professor Charles Anosike signed on behalf of NiMet.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Professor Anosike charged the Management of Unizik to take leadership in downscaling NiMet’s annually-issued Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) to weather users in Anambra state and beyond.
“The MoU signed with Unizik to partner in building a weather station in the university is a big achievement for NiMet as the partnership will ensure that farmers and other users receive timely weather and climate information”, he said.
The varsity don further thanked Professor Esimone for the commitment shown in signing the MoU on behalf of Unizik, as it shows the importance the university attaches to weather and climate information.
In his response, Prof Esimone thanked Professor Anosike for the opportunity to collaborate with NiMet.
“I am promising NiMet that Unizik will play its part in fulfilling the terms of the MoU which is a landmark accomplishment. Not only our local farmers, but our students, lecturers and researchers will benefit from this relationship especially in the areas of information on climate prediction and climate change.
“Unizik will match the financial commitments of NiMet to the project by two because weather and climate information is critical to economic development”.
“We will also involve our Centre for Community Development (CCD) with this project so that we can improve on farmer education. NiMet should also consider training relevant Unizik staff to help sustain the terms of the MoU”, he concluded.
Professor Esimone was accompanied by Professor Ifeanyi Christian Enete of the Department of Geography and Meteorology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, while Directors of NiMet also witnessed the signing of the MoU.
