Heatwaves in Nigeria

Nigeria is getting much hotter, and it’s due to climate change. This article highlights the effect of increasing heatwaves across the nation with regard to its public health and agricultural sectors, and proposed solutions to reduce the effect on the average citizen. 

What is climate change?

Climat change is the long-term shifts in weather patterns and temperatures due to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels have led to the drastic shifts in weather conditions.

When did the effects become prominent?

Climatic shifts became more pronounced with the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. The burning of fossil fuels released greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The emission of these gases led to the warming of the continent, and this has had many adverse effects, one of which is heatwaves. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2021, global temperatures rose by 1.10°C, and countries like Nigeria, which is located in the sub-Saharan region of the continent, are particularly vulnerable.

Nigeria has a tropical climate, semi-arid in the far north and progressively rainier as you move southward. Furthermore, according to NiMet (the Nigerian Meteorological Agency), the average annual temperature in Nigeria increased by approximately 1.2°C and is projected to increase by 2.90–5.70°C by the end of the century, according to the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (2021).

Mitigation measures must be put in place to stop this rise, primarily through creating awareness, as the risks posed by this environmentally threatening phenomenon are often disregarded and misrepresented in developing countries.

Effects of climate change

Common health issues that arise from prolonged heatwaves include dehydration and the worsening of existing conditions such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases. It is also especially damaging to older people. According to a report by the WHO, the number of deaths caused by heat-related issues among people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85% between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021. Some of these adverse effects are already being experienced in Nigeria’s public health sector.

Over sixty cases of heatwave-related deaths were recorded in Maiduguri, Borno State, in northern Nigeria, in 2002 alone. In 2023, according to data from the Federal Ministry of Health, there was a 20% increase compared to the previous year. In addition, the northern region experienced severe temperatures reaching up to 45°C in the same year. In the following year, temperatures in these regions went up to 47°C, the highest ever recorded. As a result, by 2024, the number of deaths increased by 30%, accounting for about 2,000 deaths.

The agricultural sector is also facing the strain of climate-induced heatwaves. Some heatwave-related issues affecting agriculture include heat stress on crops, especially climate-sensitive plants such as rice, maize, and cassava, which significantly lowers their yield. Livestock, too, suffer from dehydration, lower weight gain, decreased milk production, and reduced reproductive performance. This compounds an existing problem—food security. Additionally, this worsens poverty, especially for a country whose population is 40% below the poverty line, according to the NBS.

Reducing the impact of climate change

Increasing climatic shifts calls for urgent mitigating measures to be put in place. Some of these measures include:

• Awareness creation

The populace need to be informed, and not just nationwide, but locally, especially in vulnerable rural areas. The aim of such awareness is to teach communities about prevention, reshape behavior toward climate change, and emphasize the dangers it poses. It is very important that this is done. A way to achieve this is by launching campaigns and outreach programs. If local governments step in and partner with local organizations, all the better. The broader the reach, the more people the message will impact.

• Implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices

This involves agroforestry, the use of climate-resilient crops, and conservation agriculture to reduce soil erosion and conserve water, as well as techniques like drip irrigation to preserve water resources.

• Health aids

 In regard to public health, measures such as emergency ambulances and specialized medical teams should be put in place to provide life-saving care to victims of heatwaves.

• Reduced carbon emissions

A long-term approach that should be looked into is renewable energy, which could help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fossil fuels, and in turn, help reduce emissions.

Conclusion

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to make Nigeria a habitable environment for its present and future inhabitants.

To add to the earlier discussion on how climate change can be managed, stronger environmental policies are needed—such as regulations to make deforestation a crime. This might seem extreme, but it is worth considering. The government and the people need to understand the unique challenges climate change presents to every aspect of their lives: that drought is not just happening by chance; it is a result of climate change. That the extreme, consistent, and frequent heatwaves sweeping the nation are climate change issues. That the survival of the country itself hinges on how effectively climate change is managed. The future of Nigeria depends on how these measures are implemented, efficiently, boldly, and strongly. It is most imperative.