NiMet partners with Ignitia to implement AI for more accurate and timely weather forecasts in Nigeria.
By Emmanuel Obisue
Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, and Ignitia have taken a major step toward deploying artificial intelligence, AI, in weather forecasting, following a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between the two organisations.
A delegation from Ignitia, led by Yen Choi, visited NiMet headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja to initiate discussions on the implementation process.
In his opening remarks, the Director-General/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, underscored the agency’s unique role as Nigeria’s sole legal provider and regulator of weather and climate information. He assured the visiting team that NiMet is ready to grant access and licence to trusted private-sector partners such as Ignitia to deliver enhanced weather services.
“Through this partnership, we are committed to leveraging AI to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and strengthen advisory services that directly benefit Nigerian farmers,” Prof. Anosike said.
NiMet said the collaboration will cover training on AI-driven weather predictions and tailored advisories to support decision-making in agriculture and other climate-sensitive sectors. By providing more reliable forecasts, the initiative aims to boost productivity and build resilience among farmers facing the challenges of climate change, NiMet added.
Both teams agreed to set up a joint technical committee within the next month to design a detailed roadmap for integrating AI tools into NiMet’s advisory services. The roadmap will spell out the phases of implementation, establish clear benchmarks, and define how the impact of the partnership will be measured in the coming months.
