Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NiMet) is set to establish a mini-Automatic Weather Station (AWOS) at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to support licensing requirements for the operation of the Nigeria Research Reactor-1 (NIPR-1).
Additionally, the agency will collaborate with the institution’s energy research centre to promote and downscale Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), while also maintaining the meteorological instruments installed in the mini-automatic weather station. However, again, NiMet will permit the institution’s staff and students with an interest in teaching, knowledge acquisition, research, and training in climatology/meteorology to access the agency’s meteorological and climate data or information for research activities, subject to NiMet’s data policy.
The resolve by NiMet to undertake all these initiatives for the centre was outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties, NiMet and CERT, for collaborative research and development activities. In pursuance of the collaboration, both parties agreed to jointly work together to carry out research activities leading to world-class outputs in meteorology/climatology, nuclear science and technology, as well as material analyses.
The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, signed the collaborative research deal on behalf of the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT). In contrast, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, signed on behalf of NiMet.
The MoU signing took place in Abuja on Monday, June 30, 2025, establishing the terms and conditions under which the collaborative research activities will be carried out and funded. Under the agreement, NiMet additionally undertook to identify locations for carrying out gaseous and NORM mapping around airports, as well as provide the costs and expenses for the use of consumables necessary for the enhanced instrumentation training in nuclear science research.
On its part, the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) undertook to provide suitable land space for the establishment of the mini-automatic weather station, in addition to providing adequate infrastructure for the effective running and maintenance of the station. The centre is also obligated to provide technical support in developing soil fertility analysis to enhance NiMet’s capacity in seasonal climate predictions and climate-smart agricultural practices.
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