… Anosike, Al Mandous seek stronger partnerships to close climate observation gaps by 2030
The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, and the President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, have called for increased investment in weather and climate services across Africa to strengthen early-warning systems, bridge critical observation gaps and protect lives and livelihoods.
The two leaders made the call at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Alliance for Hydromet Development, held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, from October 13 to 15, 2026.
Speaking at the event, Anosike, who is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the WMO, highlighted the continent’s significant shortfall in weather and climate observation infrastructure, warning that inadequate data collection capacity continues to undermine effective forecasting and climate risk management.
“Africa today has the largest basic weather and climate data gaps in the world, holding roughly 30 per cent of the global observation deficit”, he said.
According to him, the continent has only about 12.5 per cent of the minimum weather station density recommended by the WMO, while compliance rates stand at just seven per cent for surface land stations and nine per cent for upper-air stations across 53 African countries.
The figures, he noted, underscore the urgent need for governments, development partners and private-sector investors to scale up funding for meteorological infrastructure and technology.
Anosike called for greater investment in weather observation networks, remote sensing, data analytics and digital platforms, stressing that government funding alone would not be sufficient to address the continent’s growing weather and climate information needs.
He also highlighted NiMet’s contributions to aviation safety, agriculture, maritime operations and disaster risk management, emphasising the importance of translating meteorological information into practical guidance that enables individuals, businesses and governments to make informed decisions.
The NiMet chief further underscored the need to strengthen early-warning systems to improve preparedness and reduce the human and economic costs of extreme weather events.
In his remarks, the WMO President, Dr. Al Mandous, urged Nigeria and other African countries to prioritise investment in meteorological and hydrological services as a foundation for protecting lives, safeguarding livelihoods and supporting sustainable economic development.
He described the period leading up to 2030 as critical to closing capacity gaps in weather, water and climate services, calling for stronger institutional frameworks, expanded partnerships and more effective collaboration among governments, development agencies and economic sectors.
Al Mandous also commended Nigeria’s growing role in regional cooperation, noting that the country was increasingly moving beyond receiving technical assistance to sharing expertise and supporting capacity development in other African countries.
He cited Nigeria’s support to Burkina Faso as a peer reviewer under the Country Hydromet Assessment initiative as an example of the country’s contribution to regional knowledge-sharing and cooperation.
The WMO President urged governments and development partners to translate assessments into concrete investment commitments, strengthen institutional capacity and expand collaboration across sectors that depend on reliable weather and climate information.
“Our direction is clear: to turn assessments into investments, investments into lasting capacity, and early warnings into early action that saves lives and livelihoods”, he said.
Anosike expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, for their support in strengthening NiMet’s institutional capacity and operational efficiency.
The three-day meeting brought together representatives of governments, development partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders to deepen collaboration and identify investment priorities for closing capacity gaps in weather, water and climate services by 2030.
The meeting forms part of broader efforts to mobilise resources, strengthen national meteorological and hydrological institutions, and improve access to reliable climate information across Africa, where significant observation gaps continue to limit forecasting capabilities and effective early-warning coverage.