NiMet DG Honoured With African Leadership Persons Of The Year Awards
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike has been honoured at the 2025 African Leadership Persons Of The Year Award organized by the African Leadership Magazine.
Prof. Anosike received the African Public Sector Leadership Impact Award for his transformational leadership at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The event which held in Casablanca, Morocco also honoured other leaders including President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar (African Political Leader of the Year), President Bassirou Faye of Senegal (African of the Year), Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State (African Outstanding Good Governance Champion Award), Governor Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state, (African Leadership Public Service Excellence Award), Mr. Olusegun Alebiosu, Managing Director/CEO of First Bank of Nigeria Plc (Special African Banking Leadership Award & African Leadership Award for Banking Excellence and Financial Innovation), Dr. Seinye Lulu-Briggs, Executive Chairman, Moni Pulo Limited (African Philanthropist of the Year 2024), and several others.
Speaking at the event held at Casablanca – Morocco, March 21, 2025, Prof. Anosike said that good leaders bring the weather and set the climate within the team by serving as a role model for the way team members interact with others. He said leaders who understand this principle demonstrate a higher level of self-awareness. “They understand that the team’s climate is unlike the weather – The weather changes tomorrow. The climate is experienced every day. Great leaders lead by doing!”
Continuing, he said: “While I stand here today, I recognize that this achievement is not entirely mine; Indeed, it is a reflection of the unwavering support of my Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), and the incredible team I have the privilege of working with”.
He expressed gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility of transforming the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
“I am privileged to lead the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, an Agency enriched with over 130 years of history, – Since 1887 at Akassa, present-day Bayelsa State. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable agricultural productivity by providing early warnings to farmers and empowering and enabling farmers to implement climate-smart practices for better planning and decision-making. Because climate change is a threat multiplier, it intensifies existing structural barriers and socio-economic conditions that expose vulnerable communities. Communities that are already disadvantaged due to poverty, limited access to resources, or poor infrastructure are likely to experience more severe impacts from extreme weather events.”
He said that NiMet provides multi-hazard monitoring, alerting, decision support, and climate risk intelligence for disaster risk management.
“By so doing, we provide the basis for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy. Our success is rooted in collaboration and managing relationships, leveraging on our network of stations across the country and stakeholder channels to deliver impact-based forecasts and early warnings to foster safe operations, build resilience, and strengthen food security.”, Prof. Anosike continued.
“We are engaging funding partners and the private sector to fill the gap of government-limited funding for country-specific interventions, upgrading our weather observation networks to strengthen early warning systems and community-based preparedness. A climate-proof economic growth is a resilient endgame as communities become weather-ready and entrench climate-smart practices for sustainability. Our success signifies the power of facilitating teamwork, enduring stakeholder engagement, encouraging collaboration, and listening to diverse perspectives to foster organizational performance. It is a testament to the belief that leadership is not an Individual property, but an emergent property of the system”, Prof. Anosike concluded.
