Godwin Obasi

Obasi Godwin FAAS FTWAS
Official portrait, 1984
4th Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization
In office 1 January 1984 – 31 December 2003
Preceded by	Aksel C. Wiin-Nielsen
Succeeded by	Michel Jarraud [fr]
Personal details
Born	Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi (1933-12-24)24 December 1933 Ogori, Nigeria
Died	3 March 2007(2007-03-03) (aged 73) Abuja, Nigeria
Education	McGill University (BSc) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MSc, DSc)
Awards	(see § Awards and honours)
Scientific career
Institutions	World Meteorological Organization University of Nairobi United Nations Development Programme
Thesis	Atmospheric momentum and energy calculations for the Southern hemisphere during the IGY (1963)
Doctoral advisor	Victor Paul Starr[1]

Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi (24 December 1933 – 3 March 2007) was a Nigerian meteorologist and the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) from 1984 to 2003. He was the first secretariat employee to be named secretary-general and the first African to serve as the head of a UN agency.

Obasi studied at McGill University and MIT, earning advanced degrees in meteorology, including a Doctor of Science, and receiving the Carl-Gustaf Rossby Award for his thesis. Returning to Nigeria, he held key roles in the Nigerian Meteorological Department before serving as a professor and dean at the University of Nairobi, where he advanced meteorological education.

Obasi joined the WMO in 1978 and was pivotal in founding the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and promoting global climate agreements. His tenure faced allegations of mismanagement,^[2] but his contributions to climate science remain celebrated, as he was honoured with numerous awards, including Nigeria's Centenary Award. He is remembered as a leading figure in global climate science.