By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-The Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Sani Mashi has on Friday said that the major target of the agency is to expand its reach to every Nigerian by giving them weather information so as to make them weather literate.
The DG who made the disclosure when the Advertising Practitioners Association Abuja Chapter (APAAC) paid him a visit, noted that weather literacy will make Nigerians alert to their duties and in turn make the country better.
While stating that outdoor advertising in particular is one way to communicate effectively with the outside world and one way government can get enormous resources to finance it’s activities, he assured that NiMet will work with APAAC, leverage on the experience of the association to inform Nigerians on the weather.
He announced that on assumption into office, he saw the need to make a shift from the aviation sector to harness the great potential in other sectors such as radio, television and the mobile phones so as to increase the chances of reaching out and informing people and in turn enhance the revenue coming to the agency which has been one of his project.
According to the DG, “Such a project can not be realised without advertising,if you have a good product that people are not aware of, it is as good as a bad product.Certainly we have a good product because everybody requires weather information whatever you are doing because weather affects your life. I appeal to you to do yout best to assist the agency”.
Earlier, the Acting Chairman, APAAC, Mercy Eluemunor while speaking on the reason for their visit, stressed that it is important for people to understand that advertising is a profession that should be practiced by experts in order to get true value for any advertising spends.
She commended the DG for what he is doing, but urged him to use advertising to enlighten the public on what NiMet has been doing.
Eluemunor said; “You are doing a very fine job, however you need to let people know what you are doing, that is where advertising comes in. If you have a new policy, new idea you can promote it through advertising”.
She further intimated the DG of the annual advertising week, urging NiMet to take advantage of the week to showcase what they do to the general public by acquiring stands at the exhibition and as well invited him to be the special guest of honour at the advertising week dinner night.
“We came here today to invite you to partner with us, take a booth or two for the exhibition,to be part of the stakeholders forum and talk to our audience let them know exactly what you do” she said.
The advertising week which will commence on the 24th of November, will climax with exhibition on the 29th and a dinner on the 30th of November 2017.
