Bilikis Alege Ibrahim has always believed in the power of precision. As a trained meteorologist and now an accomplished data scientist, her career reflects a deep commitment to improving how we understand and respond to climate challenges.
Her journey began at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), where she spent over a decade working in the field of weather forecasting and pushing for innovation. During her time there, Bilikis quickly recognized the limitations of traditional meteorological tools and began integrating more data-driven approaches into the agency’s forecasting models.
“It wasn’t just about collecting weather data,” she explains. “It was about making it more useful, accurate and more predictive.”
Motivated to deepen her technical expertise, Bilikis pursued a Master’s degree in Data Science at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. Her thesis focused on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, a powerful machine learning method known for handling complex time series data.
Her research showed that LSTM models significantly outperformed older statistical methods in forecasting temperature, humidity, and rainfall. These improvements weren’t just academic they carried real-world value for sectors like agriculture, transport, and public health, which depend on accurate climate forecasting to guide decisions and reduce risk.
Bilikis didn’t stop at research. She applied her work to develop practical forecasting tools across various industries, helping businesses and government agencies better anticipate and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
She’s also passionate about sharing her skills with others. In 2024, she was selected as a mentor for Neuromatch Academy’s global Computational Tools for Climate Science program. There, she guided scientists in applying Python, Keras, and TensorFlow to real climate datasets empowering a new generation of researchers to build their own solutions.
Back at NiMET, her influence continues to be felt. She and team of experts helped modernize the agency’s approach to forecasting by embedding data science into its core operations. Her leadership and technical contributions laid the groundwork for a more advanced, responsive climate prediction system in Nigeria.
Today, Bilikis Alege Ibrahim is recognized internationally for her work at the intersection of climate science and artificial intelligence. Her ability to apply traditional meteorological knowledge with state-of-the-art machine learning tools is helping reshape how we prepare for the future of our planet.
Whether she’s mentoring scientists, coding predictive models, or influencing policy through improved data systems, Bilikis is a clear example of how science when applied thoughtfully can have lasting, global impact.
