The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, has emphasised that effective leadership is about setting the climate within a team by serving as a role model for interactions and collaboration.
Speaking at the African Leadership Persons of the Year 2025 event in Casablanca, Morocco, on Friday, 21st March 2025, Professor Anosike underscored the significance of leadership that fosters a positive and enduring team culture.
“Good leaders bring the weather and set the climate within the team. They understand that while the weather may change tomorrow, the climate is experienced every day. Great leaders lead by doing!” he stated.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition bestowed upon him, Professor Anosike credited his achievements to the unwavering support of Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the dedicated team at NiMet.
He also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility of driving transformative change at the agency.
The NiMet boss highlighted the Agency’s over 130-year legacy of providing meteorological services since its establishment in 1887 in Akassa, present-day Bayelsa State.
He reaffirmed the agency’s crucial role in advancing sustainable agricultural productivity by delivering early warnings and climate intelligence to farmers, thereby enabling climate-smart agricultural practices and informed decision-making.
“Climate change is a threat multiplier, exacerbating socio-economic vulnerabilities, especially for disadvantaged communities with limited access to resources or inadequate infrastructure. Extreme weather events further deepen these disparities,” he said.
He outlined NiMet’s efforts in multi-hazard monitoring, disaster risk management, and climate risk intelligence, which support both mitigation and adaptation strategies.
“By leveraging our network of weather stations across Nigeria and strengthening stakeholder collaboration, we deliver impact-based forecasts and early warnings to enhance safety, resilience, and food security,” Professor Anosike added.
NiMet, he revealed, is actively engaging funding partners and the private sector to bridge government funding gaps in meteorological interventions.
The agency is upgrading its weather observation networks to enhance early warning systems and bolster community preparedness for climate-related disasters.
“A climate-proof economic growth strategy is the ultimate goal. As communities become weather-ready and integrate climate-smart practices, sustainability becomes achievable,” he noted.
The NiMet DG further stressed that success in leadership is anchored in teamwork, stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and diverse perspectives.
“Leadership is not an individual property but an emergent property of the system,” he concluded.
Anosike has been named one of the recipients of the African Leadership Persons of the Year 2025 awards.
He will be officially honoured with the African Public Sector Leadership Impact Award at a prestigious ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 22nd February 2025.
