NiMet, University of Abuja Forge Stronger Alliance on Smart Climate Initiative

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the University of Abuja have renewed their commitment to advancing climate resilience and research through a strengthened partnership on the Smart Climate Project.

The renewed collaboration was announced during a courtesy visit by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, in Abuja.

Prof. Fawehinmi, who led the university’s management team, said the visit was on behalf of the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, chaired by Distinguished Senator Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso. He said the engagement was aimed at deepening collaboration on the Smart Climate Project and exploring additional areas of strategic partnership.

Discussions centred on joint research, the deployment of remote sensing technologies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), weather station development, climate data application, academic-industry collaboration, and knowledge exchange.

Speaking during the meeting, Prof. Anosike congratulated Prof. Fawehinmi on his appointment as substantive Vice-Chancellor and described the university as NiMet’s foremost academic partner.

He revealed that over 60 per cent of NiMet’s interns are students of the University of Abuja and recalled the agency’s earlier support in establishing the institution’s weather station. He urged universities to properly maintain weather stations provided by NiMet to ensure they continue to serve teaching, research, and climate service needs.

The NiMet boss also announced plans to install an additional weather station at the university to further strengthen climate observation and research.

Both institutions agreed that climate information should be made more accessible and practical for students, researchers, farmers, policymakers, planners, and local communities through the Smart Climate Project.

To drive the partnership, the two organisations established a joint technical team to identify priority areas of collaboration and oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives aimed at improving climate services and promoting sustainable development.