NIMET injects N2bn to improve marine services, others

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has disclosed its plans to improve its marine meteorological programmes and activities as it began the execution of projects in the marine sector valued at over N2 billion over the next two years.

NiMet and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have both championed effective collaboration, geared towards meeting international marine meteorological standards set by the world Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

The duo also mulled capacity enhancement to provide relevant tools for maritime security, effective service delivery and sustainable development of the marine environment.

Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Mansur Bako Matazu,

in a document titled “Comprehensive Aide Memoire On NiMet-NIMASA Proposed Collaboration” explained the proposals when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh recently.

Part of the collaboration is to also entail the need to deliver products and services to the various socio-sectors related to maritime safety, security, marine environment protection, and other maritime activities.

NiMet on its own part has equally put adequate measures in place to ensure adequate mitigation of maritime risks occasioned by the increasing variability of extreme weather.

As part of the collaboration, the N2 billion project proposed by NiMet is intended to offer world class marine services to all stakeholders, including the Marine and Maritime, Oil and Gas, Ocean Research, and the Fisheries sectors.

The project will also include the upgrade and expansion of NiMet’s automatic marine stations including installations of tide gage and buoy systems, and establishment of a dedicated Central Marine Forecast Office (CMFO).

According to Matazu, to bring this collaboration to fruition, the intervention and support of the respective Ministries (Aviation and Transportation) is key, adding that it is a huge project considering the expected deliverables.