The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has successfully obtained recertification for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 and ISO 29990:2010, signifying its commitment to aeronautical meteorological services and capacity building.
The ISO certifications were conferred at NiMet’s Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Lagos and the Muhammadu Buhari Meteorological Institute of Science and Technology (MBMIST) in Katsina.
Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, the Director General of NiMet, shared the achievement in Abuja, explaining, “We embraced this challenge in 2013, maintaining our certification every three years.
“We have recently been recertified for ISO 9001:2015, which covers aeronautical meteorological services in the six major international airports across the country. Our aim is to expand this coverage to an additional 10 airports nationwide.
“We’ve also obtained recertification for ISO 29990:2010, specifically for our training programs. NiMet operates two training institutes similar to polytechnics—one in Lagos, the RTC, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) accredited training centre, and the Muhammadu Buhari Meteorological Institute of Science and Technology (MBMIST) in Katsina, accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for offering diplomas.
“This certification applies to training in various aspects of meteorology, including applied meteorology and climate change,” he further elaborated.
Notably, NiMet holds the distinction of being the first meteorological service in Africa to attain these certifications. The agency is currently serving as an auditor for Malawi and Gambia.
Furthermore, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development have approached NiMet to support them in obtaining the ISO certification.
Prof. Matazu emphasized that the recertification signifies international recognition of the agency’s commitment to standardized service delivery, ensuring precision and efficiency in its operations.
He also revealed that NiMet is progressing toward quality management systems and transitioning to Safety Management Systems (SMS) on a nationwide scale.
