By Amos Harris
IPNEWS: The Liberia Meteorological Service (LMS), in collaboration with the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), on Friday, December 12, 2025, held a one-day stakeholders engagement aimed at strengthening early warning systems and disaster preparedness in Liberia.
The engagement, held at a local hotel in Monrovia, focused on the global Early Warning for All (EW4All) initiative and highlighted weather and climate products and services provided by the Liberia Meteorological Service to improve timely access to critical information.
Participants included representatives from key government ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, development partners, and technical experts in climate science and disaster risk management.
The program was organized with technical support from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and funding from the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Speaking at the event, Oluwaseun Wilfred Odowu, Team Lead from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, said the engagement was designed to promote experience-sharing and best practices between Liberia and Nigeria in strengthening national meteorological and early warning systems.
Odowu noted that NiMet has supported similar initiatives in several African countries, including Sierra Leone, as part of wider regional efforts to improve climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.
“The objective is to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and support Liberia’s efforts to build a more effective and inclusive early warning system,” Odowu said.
He emphasized the importance of public weather services, which provide essential forecasts, severe weather warnings and climate outlooks to the public and key sectors such as aviation, marine services, and emergency management through platforms including radio, television, mobile applications, and official websites.
Also speaking at the engagement, Albert M. Shernah, Director of the Liberia Meteorological Service, expressed appreciation to the NiMet team for their coordination and technical support.
He said the engagement provided an opportunity for both countries to assess their respective progress and challenges in the delivery of early warning services.
Presenting on behalf of the Liberia Meteorological Service, Steven Jones highlighted Liberia’s current early warning capabilities and noted that additional support is expected in December to expand coverage.
He warned that many homes across the country remain vulnerable due to weak roofing structures that cannot withstand strong winds and severe weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Transport, James K. Momo, reaffirmed the Government of Liberia’s commitment to strengthening disaster preparedness and climate risk management.
Minister Momo said effective early warning systems are vital to saving lives, protecting livelihoods and reducing the impact of climate-related hazards, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Friday, December 12, 2025e stressed the need for strong coordination among government institutions, meteorological agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners to ensure the success of the EW4All initiative.
The one-day stakeholders engagement forms part of Liberia’s broader efforts to enhance national capacity in climate services, disaster risk reduction, and early warning dissemination, in line with regional and global commitments to climate resilience.
