The Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Nnamdi Azikiwe University have agreed to collaborate on the construction of a weather station at the campus.
NiMet’s General Manager, Public Relations, Muntari Ibrahim, made the announcement on Friday.
The MoU was signed on Friday in Abuja by Charles Esimone, Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, on behalf of the institution’s governing council, and Charles Anosike, DG of NiMet, on behalf of NiMet.
Anosike, speaking at the signing ceremony, asked UNIZIK management to take the lead in downscaling NiMet’s yearly Seasonal Climate Prediction to farmers and other users in Anambra state and beyond.
According to the MoU, the collaboration to build a weather station in the university is a big achievement for NiMet as the partnership will ensure that farmers and other users receive timely weather and climate information.
In his response, Esimone thanked Anosike for the opportunity to collaborate with NiMet.
He said, “I am promising NiMet that UNIZIK will play its part in fulfilling the terms of the MoU which is a landmark accomplishment. Not only for our local farmers, but our students, lecturers and researchers will benefit from this relationship, especially in the areas of information on climate prediction and climate change”.
“UNIZIK will match the financial commitments of NiMet to the project by two because weather and climate information is critical to economic development.”
“We will also involve our Centre for Community Development with this project so that we can improve farmer education. NiMet should also consider training relevant UNIZIK staff to help sustain the terms of the MoU”, he stated.
