NiMet Signs MoU with Save The Children To Enhance Early Warning Capability

NiMet Signs MoU with Save The Children To Enhance Early Warning Capability

ALIMOTU SHADIAT

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Tuesday 25th June, 2024 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Save The Children (a non-governmental organisation), to enhance the provision of Early Warning for vulnerable communities in Nigeria.

Speaking at the signing which took place at NiMet headquarters, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike said that the partnership will enable NiMet and Save the Children to collaborate on disaster risk reduction projects.

Professor Anosike revealed that NiMet is already doing risk assessment mapping, and that both organizations can use the vulnerability map to strengthen what they do.

Speaking further, Professor Anosike observed that NiMet is also developing crop calendar for farmers. “Although we are gathering information from the farmers, they also need support. For us to be able to follow the standardised way of providing extension and advisory services to farmers, developing this platform together with your team will be really impactful. We will share experiences. It will be all encompassing and will also address farmers and herders conflict”., he concluded.

Responding, the Deputy Country Director of Save The Children, Mr. Poston Kragnigr said that his organisation is one of the few organisations in Nigeria that have been responding to humanitarian disasters in the North East, North West and across Nigeria.

“We have developed Early Warning Systems which is an ICT -based platform. The main idea is to get alerts on time and ensure that communities get the information on time and become more resilient. This will lead to reduction of the negative impact of such disasters. This is why we want to develop a strategic partnership with NiMet”, he said.

Mr Kragnigr added that Save the Children plans to upgrade their platform to be able to receive forecast that is tailored for Nigeria, especially for communities that are at risk of flooding so that they will get alerts before the event occurs so as to reduce its negative impact.

Save the Children is an International non-governmental organisation with presence in 120 countries and has been in Nigeria since 2001 with offices in 21 out of 36 states of Nigeria. In 2023, the NGO launched an early warning system and collaborated with NiMet, NIHSA, NEMA, Federal Ministries of Environment and Humanitarian Affairs.