The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi has said that the Meteorological Institute of Technology, Katsina, is now ready for accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to run National Diploma and Higher National Diploma courses in meteorology.
The Director General, who disclosed this to our reporter in Abuja yesterday, said “necessary infrastructures have been provided and the institute is now ready for accreditation.”
He said about N280 million was spent to provide meteorological installations, laboratory equipment, library, students’ clinic, cafeteria and others so as to meet the requirements of the NBTE.
Prof Abubakar Mashi, who is also the Nigeria’s Permanent Representative with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), disclosed that the temporary site being used by the Meteorological Institute was donated by the Katsina State Government, and since it was only used for just four years before it was donated to the federal government, there was no need for any major renovation to be carried out.
He said; “The institute was created by the Federal Government in 2018 to provide avenue for national manpower development in meteorology. The Katsina State government donated to the federal government the temporary site of Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management to serve as the take-off site for the institute.
“The Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management site was constructed in 2014, and was used for just four years before it was donated to be used as temporary site for the Meteorological Institute. Therefore, there was no need for any major renovation to be carried out.
“However, since the temporary site was not constructed by the Katsina State government to serve as Meteorological Institute, appropriate infrastructure like meteorological installations, laboratory equipment, library, students’ clinic, cafeteria and others had to be provided to aide the Meteorological Institute’s quest for accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education.
About N280 million has been expended to provide these necessary infrastructure and the institute is now ready for accreditation.”
While commenting on the ongoing construction of MET City Housing Estate, being done by NIMET Staff Cooperative Society, the Director General, who commended the Federal Capital Territory administration for allocating the land to the Cooperative Society, urged leadership of the cooperative society to ensure that quality job is done.