The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, urged Nigerians to heed climate warnings in line with the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative.

Professor Anosike made this call on Wednesday during the “Tree-mendous Strategy for a Sustainable Future” tree planting and climate action summit at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Igbariam, Anambra State. He was represented at the event by Mrs Glory Onyegbule, Director of the Directorate of Applied Meteorological Services (DAMS) at NiMet.

Speaking through Mrs Onyegbule, Professor Anosike highlighted NiMet’s long-standing partnerships with research institutions and academia across the country, emphasising their role in advancing climate knowledge, risk management, disaster preparedness, and awareness.

He noted the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding in recent decades, along with the rise of heat waves, heat stress, dry spells, and more violent weather storms. “All these are consequences of the changing climate with attendant human and socioeconomic losses to the affected communities and the country at large,” he stressed.

Professor Anosike condemned human activities such as deforestation, urbanisation, transportation, industrialisation, indiscriminate waste disposal, and land-use changes, which he said have significantly contributed to the rapidly changing climate.

He urged collective action at all levels of society – national, state, local government, and community – to combat the causes and effects of climate change.

Professor Anosike commended the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Kate Omenugha, and the university community for organising the tree-planting and climate action summit, encouraging other institutions to emulate their proactive approach. (Daily Sun)

Update news