NAN-H-81
Training
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, July 27, 2017 (NAN) A team of experts from the Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) has commenced training of technical staff of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigerian Hydrological Agency (NIHSA) on capacity building.
A statement by Mrs Tessy Ushie, Assistant General Manager, Public Relations, NiMet, on Thursday in Abuja, disclosed this.
Ushie said the training was in fulfillment of the committee’s objectives to transfer tools, methods and products developed by the CILSS for countries in the Sahel Region.
She said the training was being conducted by a three-man team of experts from AGROmeteorology, Hydrology, METeorology (AGRHYMET).
“The three-man team is made up of Dr Abdou Ali, Senior Expert in Hydrometeorology as head, Mrs Hadiza Boubakar, IT expert and Mr Bernard Minoungou, a Hydrometeorological modelling scientist.”
Dr Abdou Ali, an expert in hydrometeorology, who led the CILSS team stated that one of the key objective of the training programme was to provide technical support in data management.
Ali added that the training was also targeted at the improvement of hydro climate services for the sustenance and institutionalisation of enhanced skills in data management.
He said the training programme would focus on updating the CLIDATA system at NiMet, as well as imparting some state-of-the-art methods and tools in hydro-meteorological data analyses.
According to the expert, the programme will also help in processing suitable data in the current context of climate change and the use of adequate ground-based data network.
“Our mission is also aimed at supporting and developing an integrated national agro-meteorological and hydrological bulletin as part of the operational climate monitoring in Nigeria,” he said.
Prof. Sani Mashi, Director General of NiMet, represented by Mr Joseph Alozie, General Manager, Climate Services, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.
Mashi said the training was in consonance with his commitment to enhance the Agency’s staff welfare and capacity building.
He said that NiMet’s Lagos office was the regional centre for data collection and e-data archiving.
According to him, NiMet, in collaboration with other centres in the region, produces and issues bulletins on climate monitoring and other services. (NAN)
OYS/YAZ
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