NIMET Set to Commercialize Services

Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), said is it ready to commercialize its services to generate additional revenue outside government's budgetary allocation.

Dr Anthony Anuforom, director general of the Agency made the remark while speaking with journalists in Abuja at the 13th delegates’ conference of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).

Anuforom said that the ISO 9001 certification attained by the agency was a testimony that its quality of service was of international standard.

According to the DG, it has never happened in the history of meteorological service in the country since 1892 when meteorological services started in Nigeria to be so certified adding that it has prepared the agency towards commercialization of its services.

“Getting ISO 9001 certified is paving way towards that so that you cannot commercialise something that does not have quality. In other words, the quality of our services is now very well assured. The benefits of the ISO 9001 are enormous for this country. Nigeria is the destination because the air traffic will increase and the airspace will be busy and for us, we must be prepared and live up to the challenges of providing sufficient safety services”

He noted that it was an international quality management requirement for aeronautical services providers to acquire the certification by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO and the World Meteorological Organisation WMO.

Anuforom explained that without acquiring the ISO 9001, that international airlines were not under obligations to obtain or use the agency’s forecast adding that it will be tragic.

“So for us in NIMET we now related it to the rest of the transformation agenda of Mr President, the rest of the transformation programme of the Aviation Minister Princess Oduah, where the entire sector is being transformed," Anuforom stressed.

According to Dr Anuforom, attaining the ISO 9001 showed that NIMET has met all known quality service standards for aeronautical meteorological adding that it was a long process preparing for the certification in terms of provision of infrastructure, stressing that the entire process was audited by an ICAO recognised quality management Audit firm from Canada.

He applauded the Aviation Minister for her tireless efforts in transforming the agency noting that NIMET ranked first in the ECOWAS sub region and first four in Africa as meteorology provider to be so certified adding that in a continent of over 53 countries it was significant for Nigeria to attain the position.