BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Professor Charles Anosike has applauded WMO’s Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).
Describing it as a key factor in the quest for his agency and others within the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) space to fortify their observing capabilities, achieve better data coverage at national, regional,and global level, improve economic efficiency and close existing data gaps.
Professor Anosike stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, 28th May, 2024, while welcoming participants to the four-day training workshop for Regional WIGOS Centres in WMO Regional Association (RA 1- West Central Africa).
The workshop, designed to equip participants with sufficient skills needed to use the WIGOS tools particularly for Regional Wigos Centres (RWC) functions, also makes them aware and better understand their responsibilities related to RWIC functions.
According to him, the North, Central and West Africa regions are facing challenges associated with diverse climatic conditions with concomitant socio-economic impacts of weather in extreme dimensions.
“We are vulnerable to droughts, floods and other weather and climate-related natural disasters that can have devastating effects on our economies. Therefore, strengthening meteorological infrastructure and human capacity has become a top priority”, he said.
The NiMET boss commended the WMO Regional Office for North, Central and West Africa for its continued support for capacity development in Africa, and the opportunities available to NMHSs in the region.
The workshop, which drew participants from across Africa, including Mr Bernard Gomez, the WMO Representative for North Central and West Africa, ends on Friday, 31st May, 2024.
