By Kingsley Alumona
Atmospheric physics is one of the obscure sciences that almost everyone is seldom familiar with or interested in. However, studies of space, climate, and weather are intrinsically relevant to this little-known field.
The study of atmospheric physics is diverse and has major applications in agriculture, communication, meteorology, and satellite technologies. Hence, the understanding of the interconnectedness of this discipline contributes to policy-making, national planning for environmental sustainability, and the well-being of people.
One of Nigeria’s emerging scholars in this field is Bolarinwa Ayodeji Olajire, who devoted his time and expertise to helping institutions and organisations to understand the concept and application of atmospheric physics in Nigeria. Olajire’s Bachelor of Technology (Physics) project at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) was on atmospheric physics, his MSc thesis at the University of Ibadan was on condensed matter, and his PhD research work at the University of Maryland, United States, is on atmospheric physics. From 2016 to 2025, he taught and conducted research in physics at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Ogun State, Nigeria.
Olajire explained that as atmospheric scientists, their understanding of major drivers of climate change helps in developing early warning systems. A reliable early-warning system, he said, has a very high degree of accuracy in climate models, which help to protect lives and property.
The physicist added that climate change happens to be one of the factors that contribute to the severity of floods and droughts as well as poor air quality, in Nigeria. He revealed that his research looks into the trends of climatic variables like evaporation, temperature, rainfall, etc., and how they contribute to the problem.
To further buttress his work and interventions in atmospheric physics, Olajire cited his 2010 undergraduate thesis titled, ‘Spatial and temporal trend of pan evaporation in different climatic zones in Nigeria,’ which studied the relationship between climatic variables like rainfall, evaporation, temperature, and solar radiation.
The study suggests the likelihood of flooding or drought when the trends of these variables are observed over a period of time. It reveals how changes in evaporation impact hydrological processes and water supply in Nigeria.
“This study is relevant because it helps us to understand the impact on the socio-economic landscape and recommendations on mitigating techniques,” he added.
In a co-authored scholarly work titled ‘Variational pattern of surface refractivity, refractivity gradient, and geoclimatic factor in a tropical region: A machine learning approach’, published in 2026 in the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Olajire and his colleagues studied atmospheric conditions around Abeokuta in Nigeria.
The study shows that surface refractivity in Abeokuta is strongly influenced by temperature and humidity, with clear diurnal and seasonal patterns that significantly affect satellite signal propagation and link reliability. The findings provide localised radio propagation parameters for enhanced effective satellite communications.
In another co-authored research work titled ‘Machine learning prediction of evaporation in south-western part of Nigeria’, published in 2025 in Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics, Olajire and his colleagues analysed the capabilities of Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine machine learning models in predicting evaporation in the south-western part of Nigeria.
The study shows that accurate prediction of evaporation is essential for effective water resource management, flood forecasting, and the development of adaptive strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The work suggests that 85 to 98 per cent of the variability in evaporation in the study locations can be explained by the meteorological inputs, which is good, given the complexity and non-linearity of the atmospheric process.
“The results show that the SARIMA performs best in Ikeja, Akure, Ado Ekiti, Ibadan, and Osogbo. Moreover, we revealed a decreasing regional trend from 2001 to 2010, which suggests a decline in solar radiation and/or air temperature,” Olajire added.
The physicist said that his PhD research work in the United States is looking into aerosols to improve climate models, adding, “At the University of Maryland, I am interested in understanding aerosols and their impact on weather, leveraging theoretical and computational approaches. The goal is to improve the accuracy of climate models and advance predictive frameworks.”
The physicist touched on the challenges and prospects of atmospheric physics and the space industry in Nigeria, stressing that one of the major challenges is limited funding, and further stressing that the government must play a vital role in providing the necessary funding for research, equipment, and infrastructure development in these fields.
He opined that adequate facilities and equipment are essential for conducting experiments and collecting accurate data, which necessitates strategic investments in the establishment of modern research centres equipped with cutting-edge technologies.
Olajire stated that encouraging more students to study and pursue careers in atmospheric science is the way forward, adding, “Investing in the space industry will not only benefit atmospheric science but also other sectors of the economy.”
Atmospheric physics is not a well-known field, even in the physical sciences. In light of this, Olajire emphasised that the government and industry leaders have vital roles to play in improving its teaching and research in Nigerian universities.
“Collaboration between the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigerian universities should evolve beyond data sharing towards shared technological infrastructure. Researchers should have access to high-performance computing to process massive meteorological datasets and execute advanced weather predictions,” he suggested.
He stressed that the collaboration between Nigerian industries and universities in this field of study plays a pivotal role in the success of Nigeria’s space industry, especially as it relates to the study of space interactions and the improvement of space missions and atmospheric understanding, which aid in accurate weather prediction crucial for various sectors such as agriculture, communication, navigation systems, aviation, and disaster management.
Bolarinwa Ayodeji Olajire said that his work goes beyond teaching and researching physics, adding that part of his endeavours involve leadership and mentorship of students. He contributes to education in Nigeria through his blog, www.servantboy.com, founded in 2016, which has been a source of information and an avenue to prepare students for national examinations. In an attempt to further help students, he integrated a custom computer-based testing (CBT) application to the website to foster educational equity.
• Kingsley Alumona, a journalist and author, writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.
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<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
