NiMet to Provide Marine Forecast for Ocean Going Vessels, Earmarks N1bn for Equipment

Kasim Sumaina

In a bid to expand services to non-aviation sectors, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has hinted that its set to provide marine forecast for ocean going vessels.

To this end, the agency revealed that it has set aside N1 billion Naira to purchase equipment for the project.
It added that Nigeria has more than 800km stretch of coastline that is busy with shipping activities.
The Director-General, NiMet, Professor Mansur Matazu made the disclosure while speaking at the African Swift Testbed-3 Workshop on Nowcasting and Users Co-production, in Abuja.

According to Matazu, “the N1 billion for marine forecast facilities was based on approvals of the Federal Ministry of Aviation because the agency is under the Ministry and had been mandated to extend its functions to the marine sector.

So as part of our establishment Act, we were mandated to provide marine forecast for ocean going vessels.”

The agency, he added, needs to do a lot of installations, especially on high sensitive instruments to monitor the weather conditions around the coasts.

He said: “This is a very capital intensive programme that involves the purchase and installation of tidal gauge and other marine equipment. This is just the first phase and we are going to expand by next year. Also, I must state here that this is based on the huge support we are getting from the Federal Ministry of Aviation.”