Weather Forecasting: NiMet Inaugurates AI Research, Integration Team To Strengthen Innovation

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, Tuesday in Abuja, inaugurated the NiMet Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Integration Team.

This, Anosike said, is part of the agency’s drive to strengthen innovation, digital transformation, and service delivery in meteorological and climate services.

He stated that the inauguration underscores NiMet’s commitment to complement decades of physics-based forecasting with emerging AI-driven approaches, in line with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the ongoing modernization of meteorological services in Nigeria.

The newly constituted technical team, he added, is tasked with identifying opportunities, standards and best practices for the application of artificial intelligence in meteorology and with driving the integration of AI-based tools into NiMet’s operational forecasting systems.

According to him, “The initiative is expected to enhance the speed, accuracy and accessibility of weather predictions through hybrid AI–traditional forecasting models.”

Speaking further on the initiative, Anosike emphasized that building internal AI capacity is critical to sustaining NiMet’s leadership in technological innovation among government agencies, while ensuring that emerging technologies are responsibly deployed to support aviation safety, agriculture, disaster risk reduction and national development.

Members of the AI Research and Integration Team were drawn from across the agency’s units, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to innovation.

The inauguration marks another milestone in NiMet’s ongoing efforts to leverage digital technologies and research-driven solutions to deliver world-class meteorological services in Nigeria.