By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu has said that challenges around the globe have made it imperative to embrace and explore Public Private Partnerships.
Matazu who made this known at the 1st French-Nigeria Meteorological Seminar & Business Meetings in Abuja, noted that the world economies are struggling due to various challenges around the globe, including natural and man-made disasters, and the fact that most countries are yet to stabilize due to the devastating covid experience.
Speaking at the meeting which was the first of its kind between the Meteorological Community in Nigeria and in France, he stated that the cost of conducting meteorological business is also increasing amidst staff attritions due to inadequate remuneration and many others.
Matazu explained that Government funding of meteorological activities such as instrumentation, new technologies, equipment, welfare, communication, and data exchange are becoming grossly inadequate, hence the need for partnership.
According to him, “As a Service Provider, my Agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in line with its establishment mandate continues to promote and implement activities in support of national socio-economic development across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“NiMet provides round-the-clock weather information that is critical for aviation operations and development as many must have consumed our service in making it to this workshop.
“The Agency also develops various products and services that are reliable, accurate, timely and actionable. Such as the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), an Early Warning tool, which highlights vital Weather and Climate information that may affect socio-economic activities in air, land, and water transportation, agriculture, water resources, disaster management and mitigation, health, tourism, sports, power & energy etc.
“Other products include the Marine inshore and offshore forecasts, public weather forecasts, Impact-based weather forecast, Heavy rainfall forecasts and many more.
“Successful sustenance of these products and services amidst the economic situations and the need to adequately ensure the purpose of the United Nations Early Warning for All initiative is achieved, make it more critical for the adoption of available credible Public Private Partnerships and Engagements that will provide innovative and cost-effective technological solutions that will proffer ease of doing business for maximum impacts”, he said.
While noting that the foregoing gives credence to the aptness of the workshop, he assured the stakeholders of Nigeria’s friendly business environment with adequate legal frameworks.
The two-day workshop was aimed at gathering the Authorities, Stakeholders and Private companies involved in the Meteorology & Hydrology sectors to discuss specific contemporary matters and issues; and for the French Companies and Institutions to introduce their products and solutions; and discuss potential areas of collaboration.
