The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote climate change awareness and reduce vulnerability to various forms of human trafficking.
At the MoU signing on Wednesday, 14th May 2025, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, emphasized the agency’s commitment to providing early warnings to help vulnerable communities prepare for climate-related disasters.
He noted that while the link between climate change and increased vulnerability to human trafficking is often overlooked, this partnership with NAPTIP represents a proactive step toward addressing that gap by disseminating crucial weather and climate information to at-risk populations.
In her remarks, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, highlighted the importance of raising nationwide awareness to reduce distress migration triggered by climate events such as floods.
She expressed confidence that the collaboration with NiMet would significantly enhance efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change on communities.
Under the terms of the MoU, NiMet will provide climate and weather-related information and advisories, including early warnings on extreme weather events, seasonal climate outlooks, and vulnerability assessments.
The agency will also offer expertise in interpreting meteorological data to support anti-trafficking initiatives, deliver climate risk assessments to help identify high-risk areas, and develop a climate vulnerability map that NAPTIP can integrate into its broader risk evaluation framework.
