The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has inaugurated an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Integration Team to strengthen innovation, digital transformation and service delivery in weather and climate services.
Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, who inaugurated the team, on Monday in Abuja described the move as a strategic step toward modernising meteorological operations.
He added that it will improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasts.
According to him, the initiative is designed to complement NiMet’s long-standing physics based forecasting systems with emerging AI-driven technologies, in line with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.
The AI Research and Integration team will be responsible for identifying opportunities, standards and global best practices for the application of artificial intelligence in meteorology, as well as driving the integration of AI-based tools into NiMet’s operational forecasting platforms.
NiMet said the adoption of hybrid AI traditional forecasting models is expected to enhance the speed, precision and accessibility of weather predictions, with positive implications for aviation safety, agriculture, disaster risk reduction and broader national development.
Prof. Anosike stressed that building in-house AI capacity is critical to sustaining NiMet’s leadership in technological innovation among public institutions, while ensuring that emerging technologies are responsibly deployed.
Members of the team were drawn from different units within the Agency, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to research and 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
