The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted an early onset of the rainy season for Borno, Abia, and Akwa Ibom states. Conversely, certain regions, notably in the North Central states, are anticipated to encounter delayed rainfall.
This prediction emerged during the unveiling of the 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) on Tuesday, February 20th, 2024, in Abuja.
Under the theme “Facilitating a Weather Resilient Economy Through Early Warnings for all to Foster Renewed Hope and Sustainable Development,” Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, officially launched the 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) on behalf of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). This emphasizes the importance of early weather warnings in building a more resilient and sustainable future for Nigeria.
The 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction also reveals an anticipated early end to the rainy season in several regions. This includes parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Benue, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ogun, and Lagos states. Residents in these areas should be prepared for potentially shorter rainy seasons this year.
The rainy season is expected to end later than usual in southern states like Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, as well as parts of Delta, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, FCT, Niger, and Kaduna.
The minister revealed that the document also includes comprehensive temperature predictions for the initial five months of the year, forecasts for the dry spell and minor dry season, along with predictions for malaria and meningitis.
“The annual rainfall amount is predicted to be below normal over parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kano, Kebbi, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Delta and Bayelsa states when compared to their long term normal.
” However, other parts of the country are likely to observe normal to above-normal annual rainfall amounts.
Most parts of the country are expected to experience a shorter length of season, however, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa-Ibom are likely to experience a longer length of season when compared with their mean. Normal to shorter length of season will likely occur in other parts of the country.”
The Minister mentioned that the 2024 SCP has been condensed for policymakers and translated into the languages of Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin.
“As the highly anticipated 2024 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction is released today, I strongly encourage all stakeholders to evaluate the predictions thoroughly and strategically, to build adaptive capacity and resilience against climate variability within your respective sectors.
“It is my desire that the content of the document enables policymakers to plan activities, allocate resources effectively, and protect our citizens from the adverse impacts of weather”.
The Special Guest of Honour, Olusegun Obasanjo, who spoke virtually, highlighted that the two crucial challenges confronting the nation are climate change and food crisis. He emphasized the significance of taking NiMet’s predictions seriously.
Emmanuel Meribole, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, stated in his welcome address, “Throughout the years, we have observed shifting climatic patterns, extreme weather occurrences, and the resulting disastrous effects on lives, property, and livelihoods. These underscore the crucial importance of our assembly here today.”
Charles Anosike, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, affirmed that the agency has consistently shown steadfast dedication to excellence by providing its annual Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) promptly at the beginning of each year. “This tradition underscores the crucial role that precise weather forecasting plays in our national well-being,” he remarked.
