BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has taken bold steps toward modernising weather forecasting with the inauguration of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Integration Team, a move aimed at deepening innovation, digital transformation, and service delivery across meteorological and climate services.
The initiative, approved by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, was formally inaugurated by the Director of Human Resources Management and Administration, Dr. Nasir Sani.
It highlights the Agency’s resolve to complement decades of physics-based weather prediction with emerging AI-driven technologies.
The move aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and NiMet’s broader modernization programme, as the Agency positions itself to meet rising demands for faster, more accurate, and more accessible weather information.
The newly constituted technical team is mandated to identify opportunities, standards, and global best practices for applying artificial intelligence in meteorology.
It will also drive the gradual integration of AI-based tools into NiMet’s operational forecasting systems, paving the way for hybrid models that blend traditional forecasting methods with advanced machine learning capabilities.
The adoption of these hybrid approaches is expected to significantly improve forecast precision, shorten processing times, and expand the reach of weather and climate information to critical sectors of the economy.
Speaking on the initiative, Professor Anosike stressed the importance of developing in-house AI capacity to sustain NiMet’s reputation as a technology-driven public institution.
According to him, “building internal AI capacity is critical to sustaining NiMet’s leadership in technological innovation,” while ensuring that new tools are responsibly deployed to support aviation safety, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and national development.
Members of the AI Research and Integration Team were drawn from different units of the Agency, reflecting a deliberate multidisciplinary approach to innovation and problem-solving.
The inauguration, stakeholders note, is another milestone in NiMet’s ongoing efforts to leverage digital technologies, research and innovation to deliver world-class meteorological services and strengthen Nigeria’s resilience to weather and climate risks.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
