Nigeria: NiMet forges partnership with Tomorrow.IO to revolutionise digital weather, climate intelligence
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has officially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tomorrow.io, a leading weather intelligence company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with a significant presence in Africa and the Middle East.
The agency announced that its collaboration with Tomorrow.io encompasses a wide array of initiatives, ranging from the commercialisation of weather data to elevating the precision of weather and climate forecasts.
According to NiMet, artificial intelligence (AI) will be a pivotal component, driving advancements in weather and climate intelligence.
The MoU was ceremoniously signed at NiMet’s headquarters in Abuja on January 24, 2024. Professor Charles Anosike, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasising its alignment with the agency’s mandate for revenue generation and enhanced safety in the aviation sector.
Anosike affirmed, “We have found good partners in Tomorrow.io. We are aspiring to actualize the mandate given to NiMet by the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, on revenue generation and improved safety of the aviation sector. This MoU will help us achieve that”.
“As an agency, NiMet is already doing a lot. We are always on the lookout for partners that will help us improve and expand on our services. Ai and technology are playing leading roles in weather and climate forecasts.
“This partnership with Tomorrow.io will help us to do more for our various stakeholders across the socio-economic sectors we serve including aviation, agriculture, marine, oil and gas, construction, academia etc”.
NiMet is already at the forefront of meteorological advancements, and this collaboration aims to further bolster its services across diverse sectors such as aviation, agriculture, marine, oil and gas, construction, and academia.
Anosike highlighted the critical role of AI and technology in modernising weather and climate forecasts.
Yaniv Gelnik, the Director of Africa Expansion at Tomorrow.io, shared insights into the transformative potential of the partnership.
Drawing from experiences in Kenya and other regions served by Tomorrow.io, he emphasised the capability to provide daily, localised weather and climate information to end-users, particularly farmers.
This information, delivered in user-friendly formats to mobile handsets and customisable in various languages, promises to empower farmers in effective planning.
Gelnik underscored the role of AI in enhancing the precision, efficiency, and speed of weather and climate forecasts. He stated, “Ai allows for precise, unique, efficient and faster weather and climate forecasts compared to current systems and models. This will be of immense value to NiMet’s value-chain stakeholders.”
With this strategic alliance, NiMet and Tomorrow.io are poised to redefine the landscape of digital weather and climate intelligence, bringing tangible benefits to a spectrum of industries and stakeholders.
