By Lawani Mikairu

Stakeholders in the agricultural, engineering, and construction sectors in the country have called on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nimet, to fully commercialise their weather prediction services which the agency has been rendering almost free to users.

The call was made in Abuja at this year’s Seasonal Rainfall Predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nimet. This year event which has as its Theme: “The Impact of Weather Variability and Climate Change on Transportation Infrastructure and Agriculture in Nigeria” was witnessed by the Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of State (Aviation), Senator Hadi Sirika, and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe.

NIMET DG, Anthony-Anuforom

The Director General ,Nimet, Dr Anthony Anuforom in his welcome address said there will be “late on set, early cessation and lower than normal rainfall in many parts of the country in 2016 and the late on set of rainfalls will hit the northern parts seriously. Moderate harmattan is expected to affect air travel with lots of delays and cancellations. The dry spells during the rainy season may be more frequent and severe in many parts of the North while the little dry season (August Break) in parts of the South will be pronounced.”

Calling on Nimet for commercial partnership, the Director General / CEO, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, represented by Dr Gloria Obioh, Acting Director/Head Environmental Biotechnology and Bioconservation Department said “ The lessons from weak investment and capacity building in fossil technology domestication must be brought to bear on the development of Climate Smart Agriculture, Vaccines and Bioenergy. Institutions must be strengthened and the right incentives put in place to guarantee indigenous capacity to produce smart and efficient systems for the practice of safe biotechnology and climate forecasts to enable the sectors contribute adequately to meeting the post 2015 SDG targets.”

“You will recall that the 17th Sustainable Development Goal centres on “Partnership”. Nimet is therefore invited to partner with NABDA and together Nigeria would make the needed difference. It is thus imperative that Nimet be further supported to deliver the level of forecast required by the nation as we progress into the mid-21st century climate regime “.

Also, a member of the panel that examine the topic “ Managing the impact of Climate Extreme on Transportation Infrastructure” Engr G.O. Nsonwu, Director Highway Planning, Federal Ministry of Work, Power and Housing, said the weather forecast by Nimet is very essential for road construction and maintenance and there is the urgent need to make every engineering firm obtain weather information from Nimet before embarking on any construction.