NiMet partners firm to train TV weather presenters

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency said it is partnering with an American-based weather content firm, HellerWeather, to train the agency’s television weather presenters in communication skills.

This development is coming barely two months after the agency promised to improve its service delivery.

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet and the permanent representative of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation, Charles Anosike disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.

The training programme is said to last for a year.

According to the statement, the agency making plans to present its daily weather forecasts on national television.

The statement reads, “The 12-month training is to improve the communication skills of the agency’s weather presenters. We are currently signing up national television stations to start airing our 1-minute daily weather forecasts to complement what we are already doing across our social media platforms.

“With the training, the presenters will be able to establish a stronger connection with the audience in weather reporting and meteorology broadcasting by efficiently delivering weather forecasts that are informative, engaging, and reliable.”

A staff of the agency who is also a weather presenter, Wasiu Ibrahim, thanked the new management for prioritising staff training.

Ibrahim stated, “The training will help the weather presenters to improve their on-camera presence, and overall effectiveness in delivering weather information to the public. NiMet is keen on refining our presentation skills, including tone, pace, and body language, to captivate and retain our audience’s attention. Also, to reinvigorate NiMet’s weather coverage on-air, online, and on social media.”

The course modules include fundamentals of effective weather communication, forecasting the weather, producing the weather, and delivering the weather.

The training will be delivered by Tim Heller, an American Meteorological Society, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, Talent Coach, and Weather Content Consultant, according to the statement.