The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has donated a Surface Meteorological Station (equipment for weather data collection) to the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Ilorin.
The Director-General of NIMET, Prof. Abubakar Sanni Mashi, said that the gesture was part of the agency’s contribution to the development of education in the country and that the center would provide agro-climate information to farmers, environmentalists, industrialists and other Nigerians for various purposes.
Prof. Abubakar also revealed that the agency has concluded arrangements to establish a Regional Centre of Excellence in Meteorological Research in the six geopolitical zones of the country, with the University of Ilorin hosting the centre in the North Central.
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Abubakar said Nigeria has only 54 weather observatory stations out of the required 9,300 adding that this has prompted the agency to partner with universities through the National University Commission (NUC).
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, stated that the equipment was a great blessing that would enhance the teaching and research endeavours of the University.
He expressed the belief that such a center would help in the efforts to boost agriculture-related activities while noting that the donation of the equipment, was a result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the University signed with NIMET in 2017.
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Prof. Mikhail Buhari, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) of the University, explained that the equipment would upgrade the facilities of the Climate Station in the Department of Geography.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency undertakes Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) annually to provide timely and reliable weather/climate information and services to all weather sensitive sectors of the economy.
