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How It Began: The Thunderstorm Warning
A particular graphic image was circulating alongside a warning that there will be lightning in April and May 2023. In fact, the information said ‘about 2.4 million, 2.9 million lightning strikes are expected in Nigeria in April and May, respectively.
The information which appeared on Twitter on April 15, 2023, before spreading across other platforms, also added that Nigeria will witness high-level thunderstorms and lightning strikes.
The agency that posted it warned that people should “prepare for possible fatalities and flooding.”
Due to the name of the agency, Nigeria Lightning Safety and Research Center (NLSRC), many thought it was an agency under the Federal Government of Nigeria.
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Considering the sensitivity and alarm raised by the agency, many considered it not to be the responsibility of NLSRC to give such a warning since there is another agency in charge of that duty- Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The warning caused panic and also raised controversial discussions on the social space with many questioning the originality of the post.
Immediately, NiMet debunked the information stating that it never emanated from them.
Just as the controversies continued, NLSRC wrote to NiMet in a letter posted on its Twitter page with the attempt to explain its operations and openness to work with NiMet, the agency responsible for releasing such warning.
A letter attached to a tweet sent to @nimetnigeria by @NigeriaLSRC, in the second paragraph, claims NLSRC is a non-governmental and non-profit organization “duly registered in the state of Connecticut USA”.
It reads:
“We appreciate the statutory function of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NiMet) in advising the Federal Government on all aspects of meteorology and collecting, processing, and disseminating all meteorological data and information within and outside Nigeria. However, we would like to clarify that our organization, NLSRC, is a non-governmental and non-profit organization duly registered in the State of Connecticut, USA, with a mission to promote….. “
We decided to use Open Source Intelligence Tools (OSINT) to reveal more information about NLSRC and its operation in line with certain laws in Nigeria.
About NLSRC
Nigeria Lightning Safety and Research Center is a Non-Government Organization that promotes lightning safety education and awareness in Nigeria. Its mission is to reduce lightning-related deaths, injuries, power failure, and property damage in Nigeria.
It was founded by Michael Adebayo Omidiora, to promote lightning safety education and awareness across Africa through research and data-driven artificial intelligence.
The Founder Michael Adebayo Omidiora is a Professional Engineer and PhD in Electrical Engineering (Power system and high voltage engineering), adjunct Professor at Columbia university in New York, an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology and a Disciplinary Editor (Electrical Engineering) for the American Journal of Undergraduate Research (AJUR). All are according to Information sourced about him on the web.
About NiMet
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) came into existence by an Act of the National Assembly – NIMET (Establishment) ACT 2003, enacted on 21st May 2003 and became effective on 19th June 2003 following Presidential assent.
It is a Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility to advise the Federal Government on all aspects of meteorology; project, prepare and interpret government policy in the field of meteorology; and issue weather (and climate) forecasts for the safe operations of aircraft, ocean-going vessels, and oil rigs.
The Act also makes it the responsibility of the Agency to observe, collate, collect, process, and disseminate all meteorological data and information within and outside; coordinate research activities among staff, and publish
scientific papers in the various branches of meteorology in support of sustainable socio-economic activities in Nigeria.
ROUNDCHECK Findings
On the 15th of April 2023, the Nigerian Lightning Safety and Research Center (NLSRC) made a tweet to the Nigerian public, alerting them of the possibility of lightning strikes and floods in April and May 2023.
The tweet says: –
“Warning! ⚠️Thunderstorms are expected to spread across Nigeria throughout May. The RED states are at higher risk of severe lightning strikes & flooding. Prepare for possible fatalities & fire outbreaks🔥. Stay informed & stay safe. #Nigeria #Nigerians #LightningSafetyNG”
A Twitter handle @miriamhumbe reacted to the post by commenting:-
“Are you not usurping the job of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)? That’s the only Agency of government authorized to issue weather advisories. Check check…”
Likewise, @EnoBeke reacted to the post stating the organization is seeking for the recognition of the Government. The comment read:
“It is almost nonsensical to predict a storm beyond 3 days. Even the 3-day forecast, a thunderstorm cell can dissolve and not produce lightening in matter of hours.
So this is a complete busy body, so they can be recognise by Govt. Very laughable!” [sic].
The NSLRC tweet above led to a disclaimer post from NiMet informing the public that at no time did it authorize NLSRC to issue such weather forecast to the public, as it is the statutory function of NiMet to do so.
NLSRC in its reply to the disclaimer with an attached letter dated April 23, 2023, requested NiMet’s support in achieving its mission.
Using Open Source Intelligence Tools
With the aid of Open Corporate, an Open Source Tool containing a database of companies in the world, ROUNDCHECK discovered the company is an active Non-Stock company, incorporated 18th February 2023(2 months ago) with the company number 2726613.
Its jurisdiction is Connecticut (US), and the agent name Michael Omidiora is with the address ‘2990 Madison Ave, A, Bridgeport, CT, 06606, United States as revealed by opencorporates.
We did Google Earth analysis using the address provided above.
A visit to NSLRC official website revealed the company mainly focuses on Nigeria publications and no other country.
What the Law says
Any Foreign company intending to do business in Nigeria, must comply with certain regulatory requirements – the First being Registration/incorporation, with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a corporate entity or sole proprietorship/partnership.
By section 54(1) of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), subject to sections 56-59 of CAMA, every foreign company which before or after the commencement of this Act was incorporated outside Nigeria, and having the intention of carrying on business in Nigeria “shall take all steps necessary to obtain incorporation as a separate entity in Nigeria for that purpose, but until so incorporated, the foreign company shall not carry on business in Nigeria or exercise any of the powers of a registered company and shall not have a place of business or an address for service of documents or processes in Nigeria for any purpose other than the receipt of notice and other documents, as matters preliminary to incorporation under this Act.”
Subsection (2) provides “that any act of the company in contravention of subsection (1) of this section shall be void.“
Conclusion
Our findings revealed that NLSRC is not a Federal Government agency in Nigeria. It is registered in the USA as a non-profit and non-governmental organization.
EDITOR’S NOTE: ROUNDCHECK is not canceling nor watering down the warnings issued by NLSRC to Nigeria/Nigerians. The warnings are based on their findings, but our research is done to establish that the organization is not a Nigerian Government agency or parastatal- they were registered in the USA as a non-profit and non-governmental.
