By Emmanuel Daudu
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has launched its scholarly 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction in Abuja which has dragged other African countries (The Gambia and Niger Republic) to seek help from the Agency.
It is no longer news that NiMet under the leadership of Prof. Mansur Matazu has made Nigeria proud through its predictions and other services it offers. This has not only benefited the aviation industry both also the Agricultural sector which has birthed several benefits within and outside the boundaries of Nigeria.
The 2023 SCP launching/ unveiling ceremony which took place at the International Conference Centre, ICC, in Abuja-Nigeria on Tuesday 24th January 2023 with the theme: “Strengthening Climate Risk, early warning services for improved food security and disaster reduction in Nigeria” was grazed by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of Interior, Hon. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Meteorological officials from the Gambia and Niger Republic, and several others.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Host, the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika said, the rainfall amount over the country in 2023 is predicted to be average to above average in most parts of Nigeria.
NiMet anticipated temperature to be generally above the long-term average across the country. It envisaged both daytime and nighttime temperatures to be warmer than the long-term average over most parts of the country in January, March, and May.
“However, parts of Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, and Yobe in the North and Cross River, Ebonyi, Imo, and Rivers in the South are likely to experience a delayed onset.
“The onset dates for parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos are likely to be near than long-term averages.
“The onset is expected to start from the coastal States of Bayelsa, River, and Akwa Ibom in early March and around June/July in the northern states such as Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno,” it said.
“On rainfall cessation dates, NiMet predicted an early end of the season over parts of the South comprising Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and the eastern parts of Ogun and Lagos States.
“Parts of Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Nasarawa, and Kogi States are also predicted to have early end of the season when compared to long-term average conditions.
“However, an extended rainfall season is predicted over parts of Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, western Ogun, and Lagos State.
“The cessation is anticipated earliest in September over parts of Sokoto and Katsina States, while it would occur much later in December over most parts of the coastal region,“ it said.
NiMet forecasted the length of the growing season in most places to be near the long-term average, except for some parts of northern states like Katsina, Jigawa, and Kano where shorter than the long-term average length of the growing season was anticipated.
“However, the prediction shows that parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna States, and FCT are likely to observe below average annual rainfall amount.
“Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo States and FCT are expected to have 1190 mm to 1590mm of rainfall, while Bayelsa, Akwa- Ibom, Delta, and Cross River are predicted to record annual rainfall amounts of 2700mm and above,” it said.
“The agency, however, predicted cooler than long-term average day and night times in February.
“On dry spell, mild to moderate (8-16 days) dry Spell is predicted to occur in April 2023 in the South after the onset is established.
“Furthermore, following the establishment of onset in the North, a severe dry spell that is likely to last between 15 to 21 days or longer is predicted in June to early July in parts of the Northern (Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Borno, Kano) and central states.
“A moderate dry spell is predicted over Niger, Nasarawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Benue, Kogi, and the FCT,” it said.
“NiMet predicted a mild dry spell over Ekiti, Edo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ogun, and Imo states in July”, he said.
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