It seems like only yesterday that the indefatigable Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu assumed office as Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) on March 15, 2021. One year later, the Nigerian aviation industry looks back in admiration at the vast expanse Prof. Matazu has covered in so little time.
Most were not surprised at his appointment as DG of NiMET, owing to the many years of experience under his belt; but quite a few marvel at how soon he was able to position NiMET as the efficient and reliable key player it has today become on the Nigerian aviation scene.
His appointment as Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on April 13, 2021 – barely a month after he assumed office as DG at NiMET – can only be considered a fitting foreshadow of his future successes, the extent of which is evident in the domains of climate prediction; projects and partnerships he has undertaken; and his influence in the domain of labour, despite the challenges he encountered.
Under Matazu’s tutelage, NiMET recently presented the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) for the year 2022 at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) centre in Abuja – a document containing forecasts for an arrey of important meteorological parameters such as amount of rainfall; temperature forecasts for the hot season, dry spell and little dry season; onset and cessation dates of the cropping season; length of growing period; health related information on meningitis and malaria surveillance. The SCP which also cited the corresponding socioeconomic implications of the aforementioned predictions drew commendations from the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who recognized the indispensable contributions of NiMET to the nation’s economic wellbeing.
An astute professional, the NiMET DG has proven himself resourceful by means of the sheer number of projects he has launched and executed during his one year in office. These projects include the renovation of NiMET’s Administrative Office Building/Security Office in Kebbi state; the renovation of the Pilot Briefing Room at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; the procurement and installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at NIMET’s headquarters in Abuja; contracts of construction, some of which are 70% completed (like the NiMET Zonal Office at Gwagwalada) and many more.
In line with Prof. Matazu’s goal of increasing NiMET’s relevance in the Nigerian aviation arena, the NiMET boss has signed a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with notable institutions such as Earhworks, the Asaba Airport Company (AAC), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMA&RD), Bayero University, University of Ibadan etc.; and has sealed partnerships with agencies the likes of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA); Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) etc.
His vision to modernise NiMET into a more business inclined institution led him to launch an ambitious structural upgrade: “We are overhauling the whole administrative and structural setting of the organization to a more business oriented one. It will be efficient and result based, just like private sector driven agencies, complete with an institutional framework and upgrades, especially in relation to weather monitoring and observation”, he said.
Prof. Matazu’s extant influence in the past one year has also been felt in the domain of labour, prompting comments from Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, Doyen of Nigeria’s Aviation Labour, when he noted that NiMET has enjoyed it’s most fruitful year thus far, evidenced by the vast innovation schemes that have been set in motion by its current DG. He went further to applaud the NiMET boss for generating internal revenue through various MoUs via which much needed human resources have been made available for the smooth running of the Agency.
As concerns the challenges he has had to overcome to get here, the NiMET DG cited lack of funding as the major road block to him achieving the full measure of his distinct vision for the Agency. According to him, the problem of inadequate funding persists, despite Federal Government support.
He went on to predict NiMET’s upcoming need for man power in the not so distant future, based on the Agency’s present growth rate. In his own words: “At the peak of the COVID-19 challenge, we were able to downscale our Seasonal climate production to more than twenty (20) states via virtual workshops for stakeholders. In a nutshell, we are not short-staffed, but our services are expanding and the expansion will require additional staff in the nearest future.”
