AGRHYMET, WMO, ECOWAS Visit NiMet to Advance Regional Climate Centre

AGRHYMET, WMO, ECOWAS Visit NiMet to Advance Regional Climate Centre

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Director General of AGRHYMET, Dr. Issoufou Baoua, recenty led a high-level delegation to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as part of a Joint Mission aimed at fast-tracking the operationalization of the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel (RCC-WAS).

Dr. Baoua was accompanied by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Representative for West, Central and North Africa, Dr. Bernard Gomez, and the ECOWAS Representative, Prof. Mansur Matazu, in what officials described as a crucial step toward strengthening regional climate cooperation.

The mission focused on advancing the collaboration needed to fully operationalize RCC-WAS; an initiative designed to enhance climate services, strengthen resilience, and support evidence-based decision-making across West Africa and the Sahel, a region highly vulnerable to climate-related risks.

During the meeting, the AGRHYMET DG outlined the core objectives of the mission, including strengthening institutional partnerships, aligning regional priorities, identifying capacity-building requirements, and establishing actionable milestones for the centre’s effective take-off.

Receiving the delegation, NiMet’s Director General and CEO, Prof. Charles Anosike, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the success of the centre. He said NiMet will make available its technical expertise and tools; such as the MeteoWiz platform, participate in joint research projects, and contribute to advancing climate monitoring and forecasting capabilities across the region.

The visit, stakeholders said, marks an important step in consolidating regional cooperation on climate services. It concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NiMet and AGRHYMET to guide the operationalization of the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel.