McEnies Global Communications is playing a key role in advancing climate and health integration in Nigeria through the Weather and Climate Information Services for Resilience (WISER) Health project, an initiative designed to improve the use of weather and climate information in addressing climate-related health risks.
The project is led by the UK Met Office and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Rockefeller Foundation. It aims to strengthen the quality, accessibility and practical use of weather and climate forecasts and warnings within Nigeria’s health sector.
The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which sets out a target to establish an integrated climate, health and environmental early warning system across at least 18 states by 2030. McEnies is working closely with key government institutions, including NiMet, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), to support the development of climate-resilient health systems backed by reliable and timely data.
Dr Omolaraeni Olaosebikan, Chief Executive Officer of McEnies Global Communications, is leading efforts to make meteorological information more accessible and useful for health-sector decision-makers. Through extensive community surveys conducted across several Nigerian states and strong collaboration with NiMet and other stakeholders, the organisation is helping design strategies that prioritise the needs of vulnerable populations in rural, urban, coastal and informal communities.
McEnies is also facilitating cross-sector workshops and community-level consultations to ensure that early warning services are inclusive, locally relevant and responsive to the needs of communities most at risk from climate impacts. These efforts complement wider national initiatives, including the National Early Warning Services for Health programme under the WISER framework.
As climate change increases the threat of health risks such as heat stress and vector-borne diseases, the WISER Health project seeks to ensure climate information can be effectively used by health agencies to guide timely and equitable responses. The initiative draws on partnerships with global organisations and experts, including the UK Government, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank and the World Health Organization.
“Climate information holds untapped potential to transform health outcomes,” said Dr Omolaraeni Olaosebikan. “Our work with WISER Health is about making this data truly usable for health agencies, ensuring timely, equitable, and locally relevant responses. This effort is part of a larger national commitment to building climate-resilient health systems through partnership and innovation.”
The project builds on McEnies Global Communications’ previous collaboration with the UK Met Office and the FCDO in 2023, when the company supported the development of strategic communications protocols aimed at reducing flood risks in vulnerable communities across Nigeria. That initiative helped improve public awareness and strengthened coordination among disaster management agencies, demonstrating the value of data-driven communication in protecting lives and livelihoods.
Drawing on insights and partnerships developed through that work, McEnies is now expanding its focus to support the integration of climate information into health sector planning, particularly in tackling emerging threats such as heat stress and vector-borne diseases.
The organisation says it remains committed to using innovative communication strategies to strengthen resilience and promote sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond.
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