By Dauda Abbas
The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Mansur Matazu, has announced the agency’s commitment to advancing its quality management system to enhance weather forecasting accuracy across the nation.
Speaking during an interview in Abuja on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, Prof. Matazu emphasized that improving the quality management system through relevant training would lead to more precise and reliable weather predictions.
He further explained that NiMet is taking steps to expose its operations to improved quality management systems, including a transformation to Safety Management Systems (SMS) in all its operations throughout the country.
Prof. Matazu also expressed NiMet’s readiness to assist other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the government in undergoing this process.
Regarding the recent International Standard Organisation (I SO) Certification acquired by NiMet, Prof. Matazu revealed that the agency underwent a rigorous quality management audit.
NiMet has obtained recertification for both ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 29990:2010, particularly for providing aeronautical meteorological services.
This achievement extends to capacity building at NiMet’s Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Lagos and the Muhammadu Buhari Meteorological Institute of Science and Technology (MBMIST) in Katsina.
He added that NiMet’s training covers various aspects of meteorology, including climate change, and noted that NiMet is the first meteorological service in Africa to acquire this certification.
Additionally, the agency is serving as an auditor for some African countries, such as Malawi and Gambia.
Prof. Matazu highlighted that NiMet has been approached by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to guide them in obtaining this certification.