By Julius Peter
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has recorded another major milestone in its drive to improve aviation safety and service delivery, following the successful certification of its Aeronautical Meteorological Services at Yola, Osubi and Owerri airports to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System standard.
The achievement followed a rigorous third-party audit conducted by Certech Inc. Canada between July 20 and 23, 2026, during which NiMet’s meteorological products and services provided to the aviation industry at the three airports were assessed for compliance with international quality management requirements.
The latest certification is in line with the directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations and sustain the upward trajectory of Nigeria’s ratings with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
According to NiMet, the successful audit confirmed that its Quality Management System conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 for the provision of meteorological services to the aviation industry.
The certification further reinforces the agency’s commitment to maintaining internationally recognised standards in the provision of accurate, timely and reliable weather information critical to safe and efficient flight operations.
In a letter dated July 26, 2026, addressed to Professor Anosike and titled “ISO 9001:2015,” Certech Inc. Canada said the objectives of the surveillance audit had been achieved.
The letter, signed by Frank Strohmeier, Lead Auditor and Director at Certech, stated that a systematic process audit was conducted, with particular emphasis on risks and objectives under the ISO 9001:2015 standard.
Following the successful completion of the audit, Certech issued a revised certificate confirming that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s quality management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 for the provision of meteorological services to the aviation industry.
The development is particularly significant because the Aeronautical Meteorological products and services at Yola, Osubi and Owerri airports were subjected to the ISO certification audit for the first time.
NiMet described the successful first-time certification of the three locations as an important step in expanding and strengthening the agency’s quality management framework across its operational facilities.
The agency explained that the certification is valid for three years, with annual surveillance and maintenance audits expected to be conducted throughout the certification period. The next recertification exercise is scheduled for 2029.
The latest development also builds on NiMet’s previous success in maintaining ISO 9001:2015 certification at major international airports across Nigeria.
The agency was successfully recertified at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu; and Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
With the addition of the newly certified locations, NiMet’s ISO 9001:2015 certification now covers aeronautical meteorological services provided at eight Nigerian international airports, including Yola Modibbo Adama International Airport and Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri.
The expansion of the certification coverage underscores the agency’s efforts to ensure that aviation meteorological services delivered across the country are governed by consistent quality standards and internationally accepted procedures.
Aeronautical meteorological information plays a critical role in aviation operations, providing pilots, airlines, air traffic managers and other stakeholders with essential weather information for flight planning, take-off, landing and other operational decisions.
Reliable weather information is particularly important in Nigeria, where changing weather conditions, including thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, reduced visibility and strong winds, can affect aviation operations.
The ISO 9001:2015 certification therefore represents more than an administrative achievement, as it provides an internationally recognised framework for ensuring that processes, risk management, service delivery and continuous improvement are integrated into the provision of aviation weather services.
Reacting to the achievement, Professor Charles Anosike, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, expressed satisfaction with the successful certification exercise and commended the agency’s Quality Management System team for its commitment.
“We are excited about this. Our Quality Management System (QMS) team led by Rotimi Adenubi have been working round the clock to achieve this feat,” Anosike said.
He, however, stressed that the certification would not mark the end of the agency’s quality improvement efforts, noting that the management remained focused on raising standards across all NiMet operational locations.
“We are not stopping here as management is focused on overall improvement of standards at all our operational locations,” the NiMet DG added.
The achievement is expected to further strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s aviation meteorological services and contribute to the country’s efforts to maintain and improve compliance with international aviation and meteorological standards.
It also demonstrates the agency’s response to the Federal Government’s emphasis on safety, quality assurance and international best practices within the aviation sector.
For NiMet, the successful certification of Yola, Osubi and Owerri airports marks another step in its broader institutional transformation agenda, particularly its efforts to ensure that meteorological services supporting aviation operations are consistently delivered in accordance with globally recognised quality management principles.
The agency’s management has indicated that attention will now remain focused on sustaining the certification through continuous monitoring, annual surveillance audits and further improvements in service delivery across its operational locations.
