Management of Meteorological Data Archives for Climate Services in the Federal Capital Territory

Effective management of historical meteorological data archives is foundational to the delivery of climate services, yet digital archival practices in Nigerian meteorological institutions remain largely undocumented and inconsistent. This study evaluates current meteorological data archive management practices in the Federal Capital Territory, examining NiMet's Abuja data management unit and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture meteorology unit. A structured institutional assessment framework covering digitization rates, quality control procedures, metadata documentation, and access management policies was applied through document review and staff interviews. Archival records spanning 1970 to 2023 were audited for completeness and accessibility across maximum temperature, minimum temperature, rainfall, and sunshine duration. Results reveal that only 68 percent of pre-2000 records have been digitized, with paper records for the 1975 to 1985 decade particularly at risk of physical deterioration. Metadata documentation rates for digitized records are found to be critically low, with station relocation histories documented for only four of nine FCT weather stations. International standards for climate data management under WMO-No. 544 are referenced as the benchmark against which current practices are measured. The study recommends adoption of an open-source climate data management system and establishment of a dedicated FCT data rescue project targeting pre-1990 paper archives. Keywords: data archives, climate services, FCT, data management, WMO standards.