NiMET advocates appropriate govt policy framework on climate change
By Tobi Adetunji
The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet), Prof Mansur Matazu has said that appropriate government policy framework coupled with adaptation and mitigation strategies of climate change will help reduce vulnerability of the populace and speed up development efforts in the agency.
Speaking on ‘Climate Issues, Opportunities and Solutions in Nigeria,’ at the British High Commission hosted by Youth Consultation on Climate Change and Nationally Determined Contributions, Prof Matazu explained that the agency has built infrastructure, develop competencies for effective service delivery of its service as indigenous but international in nature with global relevance.
According to the NiMET boss, with global relevance, visibility, and Government support, NiMET’s products and services are available and multi-sectoral in application and increasingly important to understand.
He stressed that government alone cannot do it, hence, the need for effective collaborative partnerships.
“Integration of meteorological information into planning and implementation of development programs are strategies for managing weather-related risks in all sectors of the economy.
“Effective Collaboration with MDAs, State Governments, NGOs, Universities and Research Institutions on sustainable strategies to reduce the effects of climate change in Nigeria — these collaborative partnerships will only be sustainable with youths as Climate Actors and integral PART of the solution.
“These NiMET services are key instruments to reduce effects of the changing climate and restore the degrading ecosystem in the country. NiMET, as part of our statutory responsibility will continue to provide meteorological early warning system, identifying severe weather events related to climate change valuable.”
He explained that the agency embarks on making regular weather and climate predictions to help the public mitigate effects of climate change by way of Early Warning Systems (EWSs) and regular assessment of impacts of climate change.
Matazu also explained that the agency also embarks on regular assessment of climate change and its impacts on the socio-economy activities of the country, through publications.
Such publications according to Matazu, include climate review bulletins (now State of the Climate in Nigeria), agromet decadal review bulletins, drought, and flood bulletins, among others.
The Permanent Representative of Nigeria with WMO revealed that such publications strengthening organs of government, assist government by giving proper and timely advice to in formulation of policies that would help government mitigate the effects of climate change.
“The Director General/ CEO of NiMET also stands as the Permanent Representative (PR) of Nigeria with WMO. Collaborate with other establishments (NiMet collaborates with stakeholders and other government agencies such as Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, NEMA, Federal Ministry of Environment, NIHSA, etc) to plan, prepare and respond on climate change issues. Early Warning Systems: The agency has put several Early Warning Systems in place to help alert the public and stakeholders on impending hazardous weather and climate events.”
According to Prof Matazu, in the past 150–200 years, considerable changes have taken place in the composition of atmospheric gases due to natural processes and human activities, such as increasing energy consumption, industrialization, intensive agricultural practices, urbanization and rural development, etc which have led to rise in global temperature and high spatial and temporal variability.
He remarked that the changing temperature regime has resulted in considerable changes in the precipitation (rainfall) pattern and a changing climate will result in considerable changes in natural vegetation and in land use practices.
Matazu revealed that in the last decade, 2011-2020, was the warmest on record with rising global temperatures contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events around the world, including cold and heat waves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms stressing that around 90% of the excess energy that accumulated in the earth ecosystem was due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases.
