The director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike has emphasised the critical need for Nigerians to heed climate warnings in alignment with the United Nations Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiatives.
Speaking through the agency’s director of the directorate of applied meteorological services (DAMS), Mrs. Glory Onyegbule, Anosike made this call on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Tree Planting and Climate Action Summit. The event, themed “Tree-mendous Strategy for a Sustainable Future,” was held at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Igbariam, Anambra State.
Anosike highlighted NiMet’s successful partnerships with research institutions and academia nationwide, which have significantly enhanced climate knowledge, risk management, disaster preparedness and public awareness. He noted that recent decades have witnessed increasing frequency and intensity of various climatic events, including flooding, heat waves, dry spells, and meteorological droughts. Additionally, violent weather storms, mudslides, erosion and coastal inundation are becoming more common, causing substantial human and socioeconomic losses.
“These climatic changes are direct consequences of human actions such as deforestation, urbanisation, transportation, industrialisation, indiscriminate waste disposal and land use,” Anosike stated. He underscored the necessity for collective action across national, state, and local government levels, as well as within communities, to combat climate change effectively.
Commending the acting vice-chancellor of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. Kate Omenugha and the university community for their proactive stance through the summit, Anosike urged other institutions to emulate these efforts. He stressed that NiMet’s early warnings, disseminated through the annual Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and other early warning products, must be paired with timely actions to mitigate associated risks and enhance societal resilience.
Anosike expressed hope that university would continue to utilise NiMet’s forecasts in nurturing the trees planted. He assured that NiMet remains committed to collaborating with the university and other stakeholders to ensure the timely release of accurate, impact-based and actionable weather and climate information.
Anosike reiterated the importance of matching early warnings with early actions to mitigate climate risks effectively. He called for heightened awareness and proactive measures from all sectors of society to build a more resilient future in the face of ongoing climatic challenges.
