Climatology: NiMet Signs MoU With Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University
Oru Leonard
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, on Friday formalised its relationship with the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the organisations is primarily for the promotion of activities relating to meteorology/climatology and climate change in Nigeria. The MoU will also involve joint researches into the field of meteorology/climatology, as well as climate change studies by NiMet and the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, IBBU.
The Director-General/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, disclosed this during the signing ceremony, which took place at the corporate headquarters of NiMet in Abuja.
According to Prof. Mashi, other components of the MoU was the training of relevant staff of IBBU on weather data collection, handling and processing, and other related training exercises at NiMet’s Regional Meteorological Training Centre (RTC) at a cost to be determined and borne by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
He acknowledged the high potentials of the university and pledged his support to the institution, especially in the area of research in applied meteorology to address the weather challenges faced in Niger State.
Professor Mashi stressed the agency’s commitment to engage in mutually beneficial collaboration in and outside the country and added that NiMet intends to render further assistance to the university to support the development of their infrastructure.
He further explained that the MoU is part of NiMet’s plan to expand the weather stations in the country in order to meet up with the specifications of the World Meteorological Organisation, WMO, and help to improve upon the accuracy level of the agency’s weather forecasts in line with international standards.
Speaking, the Vice Chancellor of the IBB University, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Maturare, seized the opportunity to applaud the services as well as interventions made by NiMet to other tertiary institutions and gave assurance of his university’s commitment to the terms of the agreement.
“We want to assure the DG/CEO of NiMet and members of his management of our readiness, willingness and commitment to implement fully, the terms of the agreement as enshrined in the MoU. We also wish to applaud NiMet for the efficacy of its 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction. With the benefit of hindsight, we can say that it is very accurate”, he said.
Prof. Maturare noted that although the Geography department is the primary beneficiary of the facility, the Maritime Institute domiciled in the University, and the newly established Transport Management Programme are among other critical components in the University that will benefit from NiMet’s intervention.
