Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The historic event, which took place on Friday, 14th September, 2018 in the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Room, Adankolo Campus, would enhance capacity of the two parties with a view to providing relevant tools that will invariably promote the delivery of products and services to various sectors related to meteorology/climatology, and climate change in Nigeria.
Both parties equally agreed to collaborate to carry out research activities leading to world quality outputs in meteorology/climatology and climate change studies.
While speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General/CEO of the Agency, Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi said that NiMet is an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Ministry of Aviation.
According to the DG, the Agency is saddled with the responsibility of promoting the use of meteorology through the provision of accurate weather and climate services for economic development, safety of life and property, notification of weather and climate disasters associated with natural phenomenon as well as developing research capabilities in applied meteorological services and agro meteorology.
The DG maintained that NiMet would provide the necessary facilities like installation of observatory stations known as Resident Observatory Station (ROS) in suitable locations within the University and post personnel or observers to generate, collate and analyze meteorological information or climate data in the stations, all at no cost to the University.
Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Angela F. Miri while reacting, described the agreement as a novel development to the young University. Professor Miri, who was highly elated, expressed her profound appreciation to the Agency for its magnanimity, stressing that the University Management would ensure that the facilities, already provided by NiMet, were properly secure and maintained.
Furthermore, she said, the University and Lokoja communities have started benefiting from some of the weather reports generated by the Department of Geography from these facilities which are also made available to the general public through the University’s website and social media platforms on daily basis.
The Vice-Chancellor said, with this collaboration, FUL will serve as a training ground for other institutions, both private and government agencies within the vicinity as they will benefit from the services provided through this agreement.
In his closing remarks, the Registrar of the University, Mr. Usman Suleman Obansa, expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for this unprecedented and landmark achievement for the fledgling University and thanked the Agency for choosing Federal University Lokoja for this laudable project.
High point of the event was the commissioning of the facilities at the University Weather Station, Adankolo Campus by the DG of NiMet and his team ably led by the Head, Department of Geography, Dr. (Mrs) Ukoje Joy Ede.
