The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) is taking a major step toward modernizing urban climate monitoring with the deployment of innovative Internet of Things (IoT)-powered, LoRaWAN-enabled weather stations.
The initiative, made possible through a collaboration with Barani Design Technologies and the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), is set to significantly enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of weather data collection across Nigeria’s urban centers.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, represented by Engr. Hamid Abdulkareem, Director of Engineering and Technical Services, described the collaboration as both strategic and innovative within the weather forecasting value chain.
“This initiative marks a significant step forward in our commitment to providing accurate and timely weather information. These advanced weather stations will be instrumental in helping us achieve our targets,” he stated.
He added that the donation builds on NiMet’s existing network of 25 Barani Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) currently in operation.
A total of 59 compact automatic weather stations, including Barani products, are also being reactivated to strengthen the agency’s weather monitoring density and improve its observation and forecasting capabilities.
The NiMet boss also urged Barani and WASCAL to ensure that NiMet’s technical team is adequately engaged in capacity-building opportunities to sustain the new systems and maintain seamless data transmission to the agency’s central data center.
In his remarks, Mr. Jan Barani, Chief Executive Officer of Barani Design Technologies, expressed appreciation for NiMet’s partnership and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s meteorological advancement.
He explained that the new generation of smart, energy-efficient weather stations is specifically designed to enhance data accuracy and reliability in urban environments.
“The breakthrough comes as part of an initiative to make weather monitoring systems more compatible with modern smart city environments. This was necessary because traditional weather stations often struggle with inconsistent measurements and relocation challenges,” Barani said.
Also speaking, Mr. Diallo Abdulaziz, Coordinator of the Data Management Department at WASCAL, highlighted that the collaboration would enhance power and connectivity solutions for weather stations nationwide, improving data quality and network resilience.
The new smart weather stations are designed to meet the rigorous standards of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), ensuring that the data collected is accurate, consistent, and globally comparable.
This adherence to international standards, NiMet emphasized, will support improved weather forecasting, climate analysis, and decision-making across sectors.
With this innovation, NiMet strengthens its role as a regional leader in meteorological services, aligning with Nigeria’s broader goals of technological advancement, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.
