The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has inaugurated an artificial intelligence research and integration team as part of efforts to advance innovation in weather forecasting and strengthen meteorological service delivery in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NiMet, Charles Anosike, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, describing the move as part of the agency’s broader drive to enhance innovation, digital transformation and operational efficiency in meteorological and climate services. He said the initiative reflects NiMet’s commitment to complement decades of physics-based weather forecasting with emerging artificial intelligence-driven approaches.
According to Anosike, the inauguration of the team aligns with the federal government’s digital transformation agenda and ongoing efforts to modernise Nigeria’s meteorological services. He explained that the agency is positioning itself to harness new technologies while maintaining the robustness of traditional forecasting systems.
“The newly constituted technical team is tasked with identifying opportunities, standards, and best practices for the application of artificial intelligence in meteorology and with driving the integration of AI-based tools into NiMet’s operational forecasting systems.
“The initiative is expected to enhance the speed, accuracy, and accessibility of weather predictions through hybrid AI–traditional forecasting models,” he said.
Anosike stressed that building internal capacity in artificial intelligence is critical to sustaining NiMet’s leadership in technological innovation among government agencies. He noted that the responsible deployment of emerging technologies would further strengthen the agency’s ability to support key national priorities, including aviation safety, agriculture, disaster risk reduction and overall national development.
He also disclosed that members of the AI Research and Integration Team were drawn from across various units of the agency, reflecting a deliberate multidisciplinary approach aimed at driving innovation and practical application of research outcomes.
“Members of the AI Research and Integration Team were drawn from across the agency’s units, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to innovation.
“The inauguration marks another milestone in NiMet’s ongoing efforts to leverage digital technologies and research-driven solutions to deliver world-class meteorological services in Nigeria,” he said.
