NiMet DG Strengthens Meteorological Ties with Morocco, Moves to Deepen AI-Based Weather Collaboration

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, has paid a working visit to the Directorate of General Meteorology (DGM) in the Kingdom of Morocco to deepen collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI)-based weather forecasting and early warning systems.

The visit, which took place on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Systematic Observation Financing Facility (SOFF) workshop for Peer Advisors and Implementing Entities in Casablanca, featured a bilateral meeting between Prof.

During the meeting, both leaders discussed areas of mutual interest, particularly in strengthening cooperation to enhance weather and climate services across Africa. They agreed to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide future collaboration and technical partnerships.

According to a statement by NiMet, the proposed MoU will cover several key areas, including: Support for the implementation of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) Centre in Abuja, Nigeria; collaboration on establishing an instrument calibration centre in Abuja; Exchange of expertise in data management and information and communication technology (ICT), and capacity building through education and training exchanges in both English and French.

Also incuded in the MoU is knowledge sharing on NiMet’s Agricultural Meteorology model and stakeholder engagement framework and Cooperation on Numerical Weather Prediction and the integration of Artificial Intelligence in forecasting models.

Both agencies also acknowledged the long-standing cordial relationship between Nigeria and Morocco in the field of meteorology, which has included data exchange, participation in NiMet’s Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum, and Nigeria’s involvement in ClimAfrica events hosted by Morocco.

Prof. Anosike and Dhkissi reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining and expanding this partnership, particularly through cost-recovery initiatives aimed at improving climate resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of both agencies’ operations.

The meeting is another milestone in NiMet’s drive to strengthen regional and international partnerships for improved weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster preparedness across Africa.