Addressing rising temperatures in Northern Nigeria

High temperature, which often moves up above 40°C, is now striking some states of Northern Nigeria and constituting a very serious threat to the health of vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, newborns and children.

Climatologists have proven that this rise is linked to the escalation of global warming and climate change.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of a rise in temperature across some cities in Nigeria which may lead to thermal discomfort.

NiMet has been drawing the attention of Nigeria’s authorities to the rising temperatures, especially in the North, that it is undoubtedly responsible for the rise in cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular and diabetes-related diseases and heatstroke. These heat-related diseases have increased hospital admissions of elderly people, newborns and children.

Medical experts advise people who reside in those regions to embrace some useful tips like drinking plenty of cold fluids during the worrisome abnormal weather to avoid dehydration and for protecting their health.

According to some neurologists, lack of emergency treatment of heatwave, also known as severe heat illnesses that results in a body temperature above 40°C, could quickly damage brain, heart, kidney and muscles and may lead to death.

Being  signatory to the African Union’s Great Green Wall (GGW) convention held in 2007, Nigeria’s climate activists, conservationists and environmentalists, raised some cardinal questions about life-saving projects of the country’s National Agency for the GGW that aimed at minimising the rising incidences of extreme weather, combating climate crises and restoring native pristine forests of the Northern part of the country.

The agency must be assisted to prevent us from sinking deeper into climate crises by accelerating its paramount projects, especially that of the establishment of shelterbelts across 1,500km in 11 states of Northern Nigeria.

It is also incumbent upon governors of states in the Northern region to embark on massive afforestation and reforestation in every nook and cranny of their states so as to cool their region’s atmospheric carbon dioxide and arrest the effects of widespread deforestation.

There is also the dire need for Northern governors to spare no effort to protect our forest reserves from illicit felling of trees.

Mustapha Baba Azarecan can be reached via [email protected]