The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has formalized a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tomorrow.io, a prominent weather intelligence company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, boasting a widespread presence across Africa and the Middle East.
The collaboration between NiMet and Tomorrow.io encompasses various initiatives, including the commercialization of weather data, enhancement of the accuracy of weather and climate forecasts, and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in weather and climate intelligence.
The MoU signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at NiMet’s headquarters in Abuja, witnessed the presence of Professor Charles Anosike, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet. During the event, Professor Anosike expressed his optimism about the partnership, stating, “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.”
NiMet, as an agency, is committed to continuous improvement and expansion of its services. Professor Anosike emphasized the pivotal role of AI and technology in advancing weather and climate forecasts. He highlighted the broad impact of the collaboration with Tomorrow.io, spanning various socio-economic sectors, including aviation, agriculture, marine, oil and gas, construction, and academia.
In his remarks, Mr. Yaniv Gelnik, Director of Africa Expansion at Tomorrow.io, shared insights from experiences in Kenya and other countries served by the company. He underscored the feasibility of daily downscaling of weather and climate information, particularly for farmers, in easily understandable formats. Gelnik outlined a key aspect of the partnership, stating, “Farmers will be able to receive weather intelligence daily on their mobile handsets, wherever they are and in a language of their choice. This is part of the value proposition that Tomorrow.io is bringing to the partnership with NiMet. 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.”
