•Seek increased investment to improve forecasts, save lives
An unsettling picture of Africa’s weather monitoring capacity has emerged, with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) disclosing that the continent has only 12.5 per cent of the minimum recommended weather station network.
This has raised concerns about the continent’s ability to predict extreme weather events and protect lives.
To this end, the two bodies have, therefore, called for increased investment in weather and climate services to close the infrastructure gap of 87.5 per cent and strengthen early-warning systems across the continent.
NiMet Director-General, Professor Charles Anosike and WMO President, Dr Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, made the call at the opening of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Alliance for Hydromet Development in Lagos.
The three-day meeting, which began on October 13 in Lagos brought together governments, development partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders to identify investment priorities for weather, water and climate services.
Anosike, who is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the WMO, said Africa accounted for about 30 per cent of the global deficit in weather observation infrastructure, leaving the continent with major gaps in the data needed for accurate forecasts.
He said compliance with WMO recommendations stood at only seven per cent for surface land weather stations and nine per cent for upper-air observation stations across 53 African countries.
He urged governments and development partners to invest more in weather observation infrastructure, remote sensing, data analysis and digital platforms, noting that public funding alone would not be enough to meet the continent’s growing needs.
Anosike said reliable weather information was critical to aviation safety, agriculture, maritime operations and disaster management.
He stressed the need to translate weather forecasts into practical advice for individuals, businesses and governments, while strengthening early-warning systems to help communities prepare for floods, storms and other extreme weather events.
Also speaking, Al Mandous urged Nigeria and other African countries to increase funding for meteorological and hydrological services to improve forecasts, protect lives and livelihoods, and support economic growth.
He described the period leading to 2030 as critical to closing gaps in weather and climate services across Africa.
The WMO president commended Nigeria for its growing contribution to regional cooperation, noting that the country had moved from receiving technical assistance to sharing expertise with other African nations.
He cited Nigeria’s support for Burkina Faso as a peer reviewer under the Country Hydromet Assessment initiative as an example of its efforts to strengthen weather and climate services across the continent.
Al Mandous called on governments and development partners to prioritise funding, strengthen relevant institutions, deepen partnerships with key economic sectors and promote regional cooperation.
“Our direction is clear: to turn assessments into investments, investments into lasting capacity, and early warnings into early action that saves lives and livelihoods,” he said.
He added that closing the gaps would require sustained funding and stronger collaboration among governments, development agencies, financial institutions and private-sector operators.
Anosike, meanwhile, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, particularly President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for supporting efforts to strengthen NiMet’s institutional capacity and operational efficiency.
The meeting is expected to help governments and development partners agree on investment priorities and improve collaboration towards closing gaps in weather, water and climate services by 2030.