February 04, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted delayed rainfall over the northern and central states of Plateau, as well as parts of Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa and Kwara.
The agency in its 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) projected early onset over the Southern States which includes Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra and sections of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi, as the rest of the country is predicted to have a normal onset.
The SCP document further predicted that most parts of the country will experience significant rainfall at the beginning of 2025.
Also, the 2025 SCP predicted a 21-day severe dry spell for the June-August season in Northern State, a severe 15-day spell for Oyo State, while a 15-day moderate dry spell is predicted in 13 States across Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom.
The Little Dry Season (LDS), also known as ‘August Break’, is predicted to begin by late July and would be severe only in parts of Lagos and Ogun States, with the number of days with little or no rainfall ranging between 27 to 40 days. Moderate LDS effect is expected over parts of Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti States, while light or mild LDS is expected in Osun, Oyo, Kwara and parts of Ondo north.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, who unveiled the 2025 SCP in Abuja, described the document as a critical tool for informed decision-making.
While presenting the 2025 SCP with the theme: “The Role Of Early Warnings Towards a Climate Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development”, on Tuesday in Abuja, Keyamo said the prediction serves as an early warning tool to stakeholders, and governments at all levels and the general public for timely preparedness against potential hazards associated with surplus or deficit rains, floods and high or low temperatures, as well as dry spells in parts of the country, among others.
The minister described this year’s theme as timely saying that as climate change continues to reshape the planet the aviation industry faces increasing challenges, from erratic weather patterns to the growing frequency of extreme events which directly impact airline operations.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, commended NiMet and called on stakeholders to take advantage of the SCP to plan their activities.
In his remarks, the Director General of NiMet, Prof Charles Anosike, urged that as with all weather and climate predictions, SCP, aside from being perishable, also requires actors who will uptake the information, utilise it and provide feedback for evaluation and improvement of the document,
Executive Director, Advocacy for Women With Disability Initiative (AWWDI), Mrs Patience Ogalo-Dickson, commended NiMet for making the SCP inclusive.
In her goodwill message, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, commended NiMet for the SCP, saying that the NEMA —NIMET partnership in disaster risk management and the building of national resilience has continued to grow from strength to strength over the years.
The SCP is translated into English, Pigin English, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.
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