NiMet faults calls for creation of climate change agencies

Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has faulted calls in some quarters for the creation of a separate and parallel Climate Change Agency (CCA), saying the establishment of such body will amount to duplication of functions of NiMet.
Sani Abubakar Mashi, director-general /CEO of NiMet, said NiMet was established by an Act of Parliament in 2003 to provide weather services in marine, environmental and bio-meteorology for climatic and human health activities.
Mashi said so far, all stakeholders were unanimous in their agreement that it had been carrying out this role both effectively and efficiently, and therefore saw no reason for the creation of a new body with similar functions.
Mashi, who was fielding questions from aviation correspondents in an interview in Lagos recently, said at a time when there was widespread clamour for scaling down of the bureaucracy, creating another body with essentially the same roles as NiMet would not only be counter-productive but also a waste of scarce resources at a period of an economic recession.
He said instead of creating a parallel agency, NiMet should be reorganised and strengthened to enhance the discharge of its responsibilities through the amendment of the enabling Act. He opined that areas that require amendment include, but not limited to the elevation of Climate Services to a Directorate of Climate Services status to “better handle issues relating to climate and climate change.
“It is rather surprising that at a time when the country is experiencing an economic recession and is literally fighting the battle of its life, people are proposing the creation of a parallel agency that will merely duplicate the functions of an existing body.
“Even at the best of times when resources do not pose any significant bottleneck, such obvious duplication is counterproductive and may lead to conflict of interest and unnecessary rivalry.”

 

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