The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, and the President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Dr Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, have called for increased investment in weather and climate observation infrastructure to address critical data gaps across Africa.
They made the call at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Alliance for Hydromet Development, held at Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos from October 13 to 15, 2026.
Speaking at the event, Professor Anosike, who also serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the WMO, highlighted the continent’s significant shortage of weather and climate observation infrastructure and urged governments, development partners and private-sector organisations to strengthen investment in meteorological services.
According to him, Africa accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the global weather and climate observation deficit and has only about 12.5 per cent of the minimum weather station density recommended by the WMO.
He further disclosed that compliance rates across 53 African countries stand at just seven per cent for surface land stations and nine per cent for upper-air stations, highlighting the urgent need to expand observation networks and improve access to reliable meteorological data.
Professor Anosike stressed that addressing these gaps would require increased investment in observation infrastructure, remote sensing, data analytics and digital platforms. He noted that government funding alone would not be sufficient to meet the continent’s growing weather and climate information needs, making stronger public-private partnerships essential.
He also highlighted NiMet’s contributions to aviation safety, agriculture, maritime operations and disaster risk management, emphasising the importance of translating weather information into practical guidance that supports decision-making across critical economic sectors.
The NiMet chief executive further underscored the need to strengthen early-warning systems to ensure that timely and reliable weather information reaches communities, farmers, businesses and institutions that depend on it to manage climate-related risks.
In his remarks, the WMO President, Dr Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, called on Nigeria and other African countries to prioritise investment in meteorological and hydrological services to protect lives and livelihoods, strengthen early-warning systems and support sustainable economic development.
He described the period leading to 2030 as critical for closing existing capacity gaps in weather and climate services, urging governments and development partners to accelerate efforts to improve observation infrastructure and institutional capabilities.
Dr Al Mandous also commended Nigeria’s growing contribution to regional cooperation, noting that the country had progressed from being a beneficiary of technical support to sharing expertise with other nations.
He cited Nigeria’s support for Burkina Faso as a peer reviewer under the Country Hydromet Assessment initiative as an example of the country’s increasing role in strengthening regional capacity and cooperation.
The WMO President urged governments and development partners to prioritise investment, strengthen institutional frameworks, expand partnerships with key economic sectors and promote regional collaboration.
“Our direction is clear: to turn assessments into investments, investments into lasting capacity, and early warnings into early action that saves lives and livelihoods,” Dr Al Mandous stated.
Professor Anosike expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, CON, SAN, for their continued support towards strengthening NiMet’s institutional capacity and operational efficiency.
The three-day meeting brings together government representatives, development partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders to identify investment priorities and strengthen collaboration towards closing capacity gaps in weather, water and climate services by 2030.
The discussions are expected to advance efforts to build more resilient weather and climate information systems across Africa, supporting agriculture, disaster preparedness, infrastructure planning and sustainable economic growth.
