The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike has reiterated the need for closing early warning gap as Nigeria joined the rest of the World to celebrate 2025 World Meteorological Day
This year’s celebration themed “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together” reflecting a global commitment to strengthening early warning capabilities was celebrated globally on Sunday, 23rd March 2025, and was also used to mark the 75th anniversary of the organization.
At a special ceremony to mark the day at NiMet’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, 24th March 2025, Professor Anosike said there is need to recognize that closing the early warning gap requires all, including strong collaboration, coordination and cooperation between national and international partners, policymakers, the private sector, and local communities especially the youth, noting that Government alone cannot do it.
Professor Anosike, who also paid tribute to former Secretary General, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi, an esteemed pioneer in many aspects of meteorology and climate who was one of the earliest scientists to recognize the role of early warnings in disaster risk management, said investing in early warning systems not only saves countless lives and livelihood but generates ten times return on investment and strengthens economies..
Professor Anosike, however reaffirmed that NiMet today, have remained at the forefront of advancing early warning systems through science-based weather and climate services.
He noted that their Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), daily weather forecast and bulletins, Impact-Based forecast and other publications have proven instrumental in disaster risk reduction across all socio-economic sectors.
Professor Anosike, also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, for their leadership and support of the activities of the Agency, the WMO for leading global effort towards ensuring that everyone is protected by early warnings especially through the Early Warning for All initiative (EW4All) and to all the stakeholders for their unwavering support and commitment towards building a weather-aware and climate-resilient society.
The WMO representative in Nigeria, Bernard Gomez, who was present at the event shared a message from the WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, reminding that governments must lead the way while collaboration is key.
Gomez himself said National Meteorological and Hydrological Services must remain the source of authoritative warnings, while the private sector can help drive innovation, strengthen dissemination,
and enhance risk knowledge.
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