In a strategic move to shift Nigeria’s flood response from reactive disaster relief to proactive preparedness, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, participated in the Anticipatory Action Task Force on Floods (AATF) meeting. The high-level session, hosted by Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, emphasized the need for science-driven, technology-enabled disaster mitigation strategies.
The AATF initiative aligns with global frameworks, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. These frameworks prioritize early action to protect lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure from climate-induced disaster
During the meeting, Vice President Shettima underscored the devastating human and economic toll of flooding in Nigeri
“We cannot afford to wait for disaster to strike before taking action. We must act now to protect lives and livelihoods by leveraging science, technology, and collaboration,” he state
Prof. Anosike commended the Vice President’s commitment to anticipatory action and highlighted NiMet’s role in strengthening Nigeria’s flood preparedness. He stressed that NiMet’s impact-based forecasts provide crucial early warnings that empower communities to take preventive measure
“By integrating NiMet’s forecasts with other early warning components, we can enhance risk awareness and response capabilities,” he sai
The NiMet DG also outlined key priorities for improving forecast accuracy, including advancements in weather models, increased investment in forecasting technologies, expansion of meteorological stations, enhanced data assimilation, and the application of machine learning for improved prediction
With Nigeria facing recurrent flood crises, the AATF meeting reinforced the urgency of proactive preparedness, inter-agency collaboration, and the adoption of cutting-edge meteorological science to mitigate the impact of climate extremes.
