Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN and the director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Permanent Representative of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Prof. Charles Anosike, are part of the Nigerian delegation attending the Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference (AeroMetSci-2024).
The conference is organised by the Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM).
The conference, which brings together professionals from the WMO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), academics and the aviation community, is being held at WMO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 21 to 25, 2024. The theme of the event is: “Aviation, Weather and Climate: Scientific Research and Development for Enhanced Aeronautical Meteorological Services in a Changing Climate.”
The conference aims to showcase advances in meteorological observations, forecasts, advisories and warnings, with a focus on integrating meteorological information into the global air traffic management system. It also examines the impact of climate change and variability on aviation.
The Nigerian delegation includes permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Abiodun Adejola and managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Farouk Umar. Throughout the conference, the delegation aims to explore recent developments in meteorological science and its application to operational aeronautical meteorological services, which are crucial to NiMet’s mandate.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Nigerian delegation held a strategic meeting with the secretary-general of the WMO, Prof. Celeste Saulo to discuss bilateral relations between Nigeria and the organisation.
During the meeting, Keyamo emphasised the critical role of meteorology in nation-building and aviation safety. He also highlighted Nigeria’s regional importance in providing technical assistance and capacity-building for other member states. He urged the WMO to increase its support to Nigeria in areas such as training, skill acquisition, fellowship opportunities for NiMet staff and the development of early warning systems for industry professionals.
The minister also advocated for a stronger WMO presence in Nigeria, noting that the WMO sub-regional office is based in and supported by Nigeria. He pledged that the country would continue fulfilling its obligations to both the regional office in Abuja and WMO headquarters. Furthermore, Keyamo sought WMO support for Nigeria’s national road map for early warnings under the WMO Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.
Anosike added that WMO support is essential for Nigeria’s proposal to become a Regional WIGOS Centre and a Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Centre of Excellence. He expressed appreciation for the WMO’s previous support in training programmes on NWP and affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to assist other member states in the region.
In response, WMO secretary-general, Prof. Celeste Saulo acknowledged Nigeria’s crucial role in regional meteorological development and its efforts to ensure no country is left behind. She praised the Nigerian government for its continued support of the Meteorological Service and stressed the importance of resource mobilisation for improved services, particularly in early warning systems for extreme weather events in developing countries.
Saulo further expressed her commitment to supporting regional centres of excellence for meteorology and climate change and pledged continued WMO support for Nigeria, recognising the country’s strategic importance to the region’s meteorological services development.
