The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in weather forecasting to improve the accuracy and accessibility of climate information for farmers across the country.
NiMet’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Charles Anosike, made this known when he received a delegation from the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale), led by its Director, Imara Salas, and Scientific Director, Mohammad Farrae, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
AIM for Scale is a global consortium driving agricultural innovation through AI-powered weather solutions designed to boost farmers’ resilience. Its partners include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, USAID, NASA, MIT, Community Jameel, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), University of Chicago’s AICE initiative, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the UN Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF).
Discussions during the visit focused on collaboration opportunities such as scaling up weather services, mobilising investment for climate-smart innovations, and enhancing technical capacity for AI-driven forecasting systems.
Professor Anosike expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s inclusion in AIM for Scale’s first African pilot project and NiMet’s participation in recent AI weather training in Abu Dhabi. He reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to support the initiative, citing its ongoing investment in data infrastructure, technical expertise, and user-focused services.
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However, he noted existing challenges, including the limited number of in-situ weather stations and the need to expand radar coverage nationwide, stressing that addressing these would ensure broader access to accurate and timely weather information.
In her remarks, AIM for Scale’s Director, Imara Salas, praised NiMet’s openness to collaboration, explaining that the initiative’s goal is to deliver locally adapted, cost-effective AI-based weather solutions for smallholder farmers.
The visiting team also toured NiMet’s main weather forecasting facility and reviewed its operational systems and expansion plans.
Both parties agreed to formalise their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering joint research, capacity building, and the sustainable delivery of AI-driven weather services in Nigeria.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen NiMet’s role in providing real-time, data-driven insights that empower farmers, improve agricultural productivity, and advance national food security.
