Nigeria's meteorological agency and central bank have joined forces to share climate and weather data. The partnership aims to sharpen economic forecasting and guide policy decisions across the nation.
NiMet's boss Charles Anosike and CBN Deputy Governor Muhammad Sani Abdullahi signed the agreement Wednesday in Abuja. The Memorandum of Understanding was executed at CBN headquarters.
Anosike believes the deal will weave weather patterns into economic research and national planning. Agriculture, energy, and transportation sectors stand to benefit most.
Extreme weather keeps battering farm output and threatening food security, he stressed. Meteorological data, he argued, is vital for smart policymaking and economic strength.
According to Anosike, the collaboration supports President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. That plan pushes food security through large-scale farming, including 10 million hectares of cultivation and mechanised equipment distribution.
Global climate reports paint a grim picture, Anosike noted. The World Bank's 2026 report shows over 87 million people facing hunger in East and Southern Africa.
West and Central Africa sees 52 million people hit by extreme weather, he added. These figures underscore why meteorological intelligence matters for food systems.
Anosike also cited the Berkeley Earth Report from 2026. It projects this year could rank as the fourth warmest on record globally.
Such warming trends shape agricultural and energy markets worldwide. Nigeria cannot ignore these signals, he implied.
Abdullahi called the MoU a watershed moment for institutional collaboration. He noted that both organisations work in data, research, and policy support.
In today's complex economy, timely and reliable data prove essential, the CBN official told reporters. Poor information leads to poor decisions.
Abdullahi explained that his directorate depends on NiMet's data for tracking inflation. Agricultural sector analysis and broader economic advice also rely on weather intelligence.
This partnership will deepen cooperation between the two agencies, he said. It'll also upgrade Nigeria's national data systems and boost evidence-based policymaking across government.
