The Director General of AGRHYMET, Dr. Issoufou Baoua, led a high-level delegation to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to advance the operationalisation of the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel (RCC-WAS). The mission, which included Dr. Bernard Gomez, WMO Representative for West, Central and North Africa, and Prof. Mansur Matazu, ECOWAS Representative, focused on strengthening regional collaboration to enhance climate services, build resilience, and support informed decision-making across West Africa and the Sahel.
During the engagement, AGRHYMET DG, Dr. Baoua highlighted the mission’s core objectives, including reinforcing institutional partnerships, aligning regional priorities, identifying capacity-building needs, and setting actionable milestones for RCC-WAS’s effective take-off.
Receiving the delegation, NiMet Director General/CEO Prof. Charles Anosike reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the RCC-WAS initiative. He emphasized that NiMet would provide technical expertise and tools, including MeteoWiz, participate in joint research, and contribute to the development of advanced climate monitoring and forecasting capabilities across the region.
The visit marked a significant step in consolidating regional cooperation. Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening climate services, concluding the engagement with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the operationalisation of RCC-WAS.
The AGRHYMET-led mission is expected to bolster regional climate capacity, improve early warning systems, and support sustainable development initiatives across West Africa and the Sahel.
