- Prof. Matazu appointed member Governing Board of NOSDRA
By Hillary Asemota
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has expressed interest to work with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on its specialized climate services, early signal warning signal that will help in mitigating natural and environmental disasters.
This was disclosed when a team from the UN body paid a courtesy visit to the NiMet headquarters yesterday.
Speaking on the purpose of their visit the leader of the team and Head of Office for Nigeria, Trond Jensen said he was impressed by the analysis and the work that NiMet is doing that the purpose of the visit is to continue its advocacy efforts to enhance the urgency, efficiency, and quality of humanitarian response in the North-eastern States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe,
He said: “One of the things we want to do this year together with the government institutions that we are working with is to be better prepared for the rainy season this year.”
He noted that 2022 was a national disaster in terms of the extent and impact of the flooding in Africa in terms of the damage to infrastructure.
Jensen expressed the global body’s desire to work more closely with NiMet.
“We want to work more closely with you in terms of understanding what might happen this year, compared to last year and how we can work better, working with you in terms of preparedness, in terms of anticipatory action where your input is actually critical for us to understand how the inclement weather would impact on the humanitarian work.” He said.
Responding the Director General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu observed that both organisations have a common goal and the convergence of providing early warning for all.
He explained that NiMet has achieved certain level of leadership role in the continent based on the provision of climate services from co-generation to effective dissemination and getting feedbacks within the value chain.
Matazu, revealed further that based on this, NiMet provides daily weather forecast to Liberia, and Sierra Leone as part of the World Meteorological Organisation VCP programme which has been on for almost seven years to date.
He disclosed: “We are also implementing the WMO SOFF project, we are peer reviewing Liberia and Burkina Faso, Liberia we are doing that alone but with Burkina Faso we are peering with Spanish Met Service. We also want to apply for the second stage to peer review one or two other African states.” He said.
Matazu, revealed that by doing some of these projects NiMet has gained experience to be able to do some of its own national mandate while partnering with some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The DG, said NiMet is flexible and willing to work with the UN body and assured that: “If we get details of your target location and elements of interest, we can come up with some products specifically for your usage and we can get it relayed to you electronically or we can create a segment in our App, NiMet weather App that can be downloaded from the playstore.” He assured. The team later went on tour of some NiMet facilities.
Appointment into Governing Board of NOSDRA:
Meanwhile, following the request from the Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, and subsequent approval by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, the Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, ((NiMet), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu has been appointed as member of the Governing Board of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
The approval was contained in a letter to the Minister of Environment, signed on behalf of the Minister of Aviation by the Director (Human Resource Management) of the Ministry of Aviation.
“I am directed to refer to your letter No FMENV/PRS/1782/1/18 dated 29th March, 2023 on the above subject and convey the approval of the Minister of Aviation for the Director General of NiMet to serve on the Governing Board of NOSDRA.
“The letter reads: By this appointment, Matazu is expected to bring his wealth of knowledge and experience to bear.”
