COLLABORATION WITH EARTH NETWORK WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY – PROF MATAZU
Oru Leonard
The Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( NiMet), Professor Mansur Bako Matazu has said that collaborating with Earth Network team will increase efficiency in service delivery.
NiMet DG stated this during the kick off ceremony and installation of lightening Sensors by the Technicians from Earth Networks in Abuja on Wednesday.
Recall that On the 18th August 2021, the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NiMet and Earth Network took place following a formal request for collaboration from Earth Networks Inc. to the
Agency.
According to Prof Matazu, “NiMet desires to improve its high impact weather forecasting capacity through the utilization of total lightening data and latest point forecasting techniques to provide related services to its customers and stakeholders.
“The objective of the collaboration is to support the capacity of NiMet to further develop its service offerings/delivery through working together to deploy EN Stations in various locations that will
contribute to the Nigeria Total Lightning and Mesoscale AWS Network (NTLMAN) and enable EN forecasting services (ENcast)
He disclosed that NiMet and EN will collaborate to jointly deploy, and operate the NTLMAN and distribute
data and derivative services within Nigeria. “This partnership will lead to a wide base of internally generated revenue for the Agency with the provision of needed services to various sectors of the economy.
As part of the execution of the MoU, the Agency has received ten (10) AWOS, ten (10) Lightning Detectors and their required accessories at no commercial value to it”, Matazu added.
He also said that the equipment will be installed at NiMet facilities and partner institutions in Nigeria to enhance the quality of the data set required to fulfil the terms of the MoU.
“The installation of the equipment is combined with capacity building for NiMet officers. This imply, we are not only getting equipment donation, NiMet is also building capacity of its staff. Under the supervision and guidance of our EN experts, Abuja, Benin and Lagos will be covered.
Thereafter, NiMet officers equipped with the skills acquired, will carry out the remaining installations.
“Through this collaboration, NiMet will be able to access EN data for its internal use and public display
in degraded form and to resell sensor data and derivative works to its customers.
This will add to the increasing array of NiMet assets and installations in:
National Weather Forecasting & Climate Research Centre, Abuja where the Headquarters is presently domiciled.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Training Centre, Oshodi Lagos
• 36 State offices
• 55 Synoptic offices
• 6 Zonal offices (Enugu, Ibadan, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt)
• 12 Marine Stations (Calabar, Eket, Niomr & Koko, Eastmole, Aiyetoro, Warri, Onne, PH
Wharf, Apapa, Bonny, and Forcados)
• 4 Independent Forecast Offices (Abuja, Ikeja, Kano and Port Harcourt)
• Synoptic and Automatic Weather Stations spread across the country.
• Instrument Calibration Laboratory, Abuja
• Upper Air Stations (Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Jos, Calabar and Yola)
• 6 Radar stations (Abuja, Port Harcourt [Operational], Yola, Maiduguri, Kano & Lagos
• Over 200 observing stations including Automatic Weather Systems
• High Performance Computing (HPC) Centre
• Numerical Weather Prediction Simulation Centre
• National Training Institute in Katsina.
About NiMet
The NIgerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), is the Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility to advise the Federal Government on all aspects of meteorology; project, prepare and interpret government policy in the
field of meteorology; and to issue weather (and climate) forecasts for safe operation of aircrafts, ocean going vessels and oil rigs and other socioeconomic sectors, including disaster risk reduction.
NiMet responsibility is to observe, collate, collect, process and disseminate all meteorological data and
information within and outside Nigeria; co-ordinate research activities among staff, and publish
scientific papers in various branches of meteorology in support of sustainable socio-economic
activities in Nigeria.
Our range of products include:
• Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP)
• Decadal Agricultural Meteorology Bulletin published every 10 days
• Farmers Guide.
• Crop-Weather- Calendar (CWC).
• State of the Climate in Nigeria.
• Quarterly Weather Review.
• Drought & Flood Monitoring Bulletin.
• State Downscaled SRP
• High Impact Weather Forecast
• Heavy Rainfall Forecast
• Daily Weather Forecast.
About Earth Network
Earth Networks operates the largest global hyperlocal weather network & provides companies with weather intelligence data to help automate decision-making.
