The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Kigali-based pan-African research organisation, AKADEMIYA2063, have formalised a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening climate monitoring, food security and sustainable development across Nigeria and the African continent.
The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, research and capacity development to improve the use of climate and agricultural data for evidence-based decision-making.
The agreement followed a courtesy visit by the Managing Director of AKADEMIYA2063, Dr. Debisi Araba, to the headquarters of NiMet in Abuja, where he met with the agency’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Charles Anosike.
During the engagement, both organisations identified the need for stronger institutional collaboration to advance climate adaptation, strengthen food systems and promote sustainable development, leading to the formalisation of their partnership through the MoU.
Speaking on the collaboration, Prof. Anosike reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to providing reliable weather and climate services to support national development.
He noted that NiMet had developed in-house expertise in the application of AI and machine learning to improve data collection, analysis and weather forecasting, adding that the partnership would further expand research and innovation in critical areas.
According to him, the collaboration would support initiatives focused on drought monitoring, flood analysis and agricultural planning, which are increasingly important to Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen food security and build resilience to climate change.
Anosike stressed that the effective use of climate data would enable farmers, policymakers and other stakeholders to make better-informed decisions while improving preparedness for climate-related risks.
On his part, Dr. Araba said AKADEMIYA2063 remained committed to strengthening Africa’s food systems by promoting climate resilience and developing a robust data and knowledge ecosystem.
He highlighted persistent challenges confronting many African countries, including inadequate agricultural data, limited analytical capacity and weak connections between research findings and public policy.
Araba stressed that addressing these challenges would require stronger knowledge infrastructure and improved mechanisms for translating research into practical, evidence-based policies capable of delivering measurable development outcomes.
He said the partnership with NiMet would provide an opportunity to leverage technology, research and data analytics to support climate-smart agriculture and improve the continent’s ability to respond to emerging climate and food security challenges.
The collaboration is also expected to strengthen capacity development and knowledge sharing between both institutions while promoting the application of innovative technologies in climate and agricultural decision-making.
The NiMet-AKADEMIYA2063 partnership forms part of NiMet’s broader efforts to deepen strategic collaboration, modernise its data and knowledge infrastructure and strengthen the role of climate information in Nigeria’s development planning.
