The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the University of Abuja have strengthened their partnership to advance the Smart Climate Project, with a focus on promoting climate research, innovation and the practical application of weather and climate information.
The renewed collaboration was the focus of a courtesy visit by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, who led the institution’s management team to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, in Abuja.
Prof. Fawehinmi explained that the visit, undertaken on behalf of the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, under the leadership of Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, was aimed at deepening discussions on the Smart Climate Project and exploring other areas of mutual interest between the two institutions.
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Discussions centred on joint research initiatives, the deployment of remote sensors and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, weather station development, climate data utilisation, academic-industry collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Anosike congratulated Prof. Fawehinmi on his appointment as substantive Vice-Chancellor and reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing relationship with the university.
He described the institution as NiMet’s closest academic partner, noting that more than 60 per cent of the agency’s interns are drawn from the university. He also recalled NiMet’s previous support in developing the institution’s weather station.
Prof. Anosike urged universities benefiting from NiMet-supported weather stations to ensure their proper maintenance so they remain functional for teaching, research and climate services. He further pledged that the agency would establish a new weather station at the university.
Both institutions agreed to work towards making climate information more accessible, practical and impactful for students, researchers, farmers, planners and communities through the Smart Climate Project.
To drive the partnership, NiMet and the University of Abuja constituted a joint technical team to define priority areas of collaboration and oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives.
