The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has underscored the critical role of early warning systems in ensuring the resilience of Nigeria’s aviation sector and broader socio-economic stability.
Keyamo who made this known at the public presentation of the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) Abuja, emphasized the growing impact of climate change on aviation and other key sectors.
The Minister commended NiMET for its dedication to providing accurate and actionable climate data, describing the SCP as an invaluable tool for risk mitigation and decision-making across various industries.
He stressed that the theme of this year’s presentation “The Role of Early Warnings Towards a Climate-Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development” was timely given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events that threaten global air travel.
Keyamo, also highlighted thunderstorms, squalls, wind shears, heavy rainfall, flash floods, sandstorms, dust haze, and fog as some of the major meteorological challenges facing the aviation industry, adding that the factors contribute to flight delays, economic losses, and even casualties, reinforcing the need for robust climate predictions to enhance air travel safety.
He revealed that the onset of rain is predicted to be delayed over the northern and central states of Plateau as well as parts of Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kwara while early onset is expected over the southern states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, and sections of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi, noting that the rest of the country is predicted to have a normal onset.
Also, earlier than long-term average end-of-rainy season is predicted over parts of Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, FCT, Ekiti, and Ondo states while a delayed end of the season is expected over parts of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Lagos, Kwara, Taraba, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu states.
Temperatures are expected to be generally above the long-term average across the country while both daytime and nighttime temperatures are predicted to be warmer than the long-term average over most parts of the country in January, February, March, and May.
The Minister, however urged all government agencies, NGOs, private sector actors, researchers, and the media to champion the use of the SCP in decision-making processes, stating that collaboration and information sharing will be key to maximizing its impact.
He noted the unveiling of the 2025 SCP marks another milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to combat climate change through scientific forecasting and proactive policymaking, adding that with continued support from the Tinubu administration, NiMET remains at the forefront of providing reliable climate intelligence to safeguard lives and livelihoods across the country.
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