Credible PPP critical to providing innovative and cost-effective technological solutions- NiMet DG

Oru Leonard 

Director General,, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Manzur Matazu has said the adoption of available credible Public Private Partnerships (PPP), and engagements that will provide innovative and cost-effective technological solutions that will proffer ease of doing business for maximum impacts.

The NiMet Boss stated this in Abuja on Monday at the first French-Nigeria Meteorological Seminar and business meeting.

Matazu expressed the Agency’s readiness to commercialise some of its services and products to boost its revenue and contribute to the nation’s GDP. He further said that the world economies are struggling due to various challenges around the globe, including natural and man-made disasters, and the fact that most countries are yet to stabilise due to the devastating COVID-19 experience.

“The cost of conducting meteorological business is also increasing amidst staff attritions due to inadequate remuneration and many others. Hence, Government funding of meteorological activities such as instrumentation, new technologies, equipment, welfare, communication, and data exchange are grossly inadequate.

“It is therefore imperative that Public Private Partnership must be embraced and explored”.

He added that the Agency’s goal to commercialise some of its services would be achieved through collaborations and more Public Private Partnerships to support its operations and the high demand for meteorological and hydrological services by Nigerians and other countries.

Buttressing further on revenue generation the DG stated

“As a service provider, NiMet in line with its established mandate promotes and implements activities in support of national socio-economic development across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“The Agency also develops various products and services that are reliable, accurate, timely and actionable which highlights vital Weather and Climate information that may affect socio-economic activities in air, land, and water transportation, agriculture, water resources, disaster management and mitigation, health, tourism, sports, power and energy.

“For successful sustenance of these products and services amidst the economic situations and the need to adequately ensure the purpose of the United Nations Early Warning for All initiative is achieved, it is critical for the adoption of available credible Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and engagements that will provide innovative and cost-effective technological solutions that will proffer ease of doing business for maximum impacts.

“The climate change issue is very challenging, so we need to open up more partnerships and there is a concept in the WMO called weather enterprise which aims to see how government and private sectors can work together in weather monitoring and in providing services for improved and sustainable livelihood in Africa.

“So, commercialization is the way to go because if you check our services that are categorized into public service, government-support service, and the tailored service; there is a need to expand more on the tailored services to be able to generate more revenue for the agency and for government and also deliver more effective services to our clients in the country and beyond”.

Speaking during her opening remarks the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Emmanuelle Blatmann who described the seminar as a win-win situation added that it would avail both countries of opportunities to share ideas on the latest technologies.

Blatmann said: “The seminar on meteorology and hydrology is part of the partnership agreement between Nigerian authorities and the French government. The French government responded to the request made by Nigerian authorities because there is a need for a public-private partnership.

“France has been leading in climate change issues by integrating each of our projects and policies in all our partnerships abroad to mitigate the effect of climate change all over the world. So, the seminar is about sharing good practices and offering the latest technological solutions.”

Roundtable discussions were also held between the DGs of Metoreogical Services from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and 8 French Companies namely; ARIA- SUEZ, MFI, METEORAGE, DEGREAN, METEOMODEM, PULSONIC and SAGIM.