CAPTION:
L-Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu and the International Rescue Committee Governance Coordinator, Dorcas Kingsley David during the meeting in Abuja
By Favour Nnabugwu
After the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), , the International Rescue Committee (IRC),, has proposed to expand and extend the scope and duration of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both organisations
This was disclosed during a courtesy visit by the IRC team to the NiMet Headquarters, Abuja, yesterday.
The International Rescue Committee Team, which was led by the IRC Governance Coordinator, Dorcas Kingsley David, in her remarks explained that IRC and NiMet had previously signed a one-year MoU on a project that recorded great success in Yola, Adamawa State, and following the critical role played by NiMet in attaining this feat, IRC was prompted to seek for a broad ranging Memorandum of Understanding whereby NiMet and IRC can have a long-term partnership on the provision of weather and climate services as well as help design projects targeted at mitigating climate disasters and enhancing early warning for communities across Nigeria.
Expressing further the aim of the intending MoU between IRC and NiMet, the Governance Coordinator said that the collaboration will enable access to rainfall data, develop a trigger system for rainfall and rainfall intensity alert, flood forecast and subsequent provision of early warning alert to communities.
The Director General of NiMet Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu who was represented by the Director of Applied Meteorological Services, Prof. Charles Anosike disclosed that NiMet has an established interest in private public partnership and has been collaborating with various stakeholders to provide climate services that is tailor made to enhance sustainable development as well as improve the socio-economic well-being of the Nation.
Prof. Matazu also noted that the expansion of the MoU is an essential development as it enables NiMet and IRC to extend their reach and build a community that is weather smart as well as implement policies and services that can mitigate climate disaster.
Concluding his remark, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, commended the effort of the International Rescue Committee on her strategic action plan to curb climate disaster and reiterates that NiMet is committed to providing quality, accurate and timely climate advisories geared towards the support of human development as well as create awareness on the socio economic impacts of climate and weather on different sectors of the nation’s economy.
