A drone view of Nigeria’s landscape. (MediaMOF/Wikimedia Commons)

I was walking on the pedestrian pavement, my skin shimmering under the sun’s rays. Sweat rolled down my face, and the only reason I didn’t cry was that my body would have generated even more heat. The 3 p.m. sunlight in Abuja, Nigeria, that afternoon was unbearable, and I felt helpless. But how about other northern regions? If temperatures are sweltering in the north-central zone, imagine the intensity in the arid and semi-arid areas further north, closer to the Sahara Desert. How can those of us in heat-affected regions cope with the seemingly worsening climate conditions?

Nigeria, a country known for its distinctly young population, shares borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, and the Atlantic Ocean. These borders facilitate trade and ethnic connectivity, but they also have climatic implications. Rainfall volume varies significantly across regions. The southeastern states of Nigeria record the highest levels, while the northeastern states receive the least. The south regularly receives heavy downpours because of rising air masses from the Atlantic Ocean and the orographic effects of the Cameroon Highlands. Meanwhile, the north receives little rainfall because it is relatively far from the Atlantic Ocean, and is affected by dry winds from the Sahara Desert [pdf], the hottest desert on Earth, which extends into Nigeria via Chad and Niger.

Nigeria is largely characterized by a tropical climate. Among 234 countries, it ranks 41st in average yearly temperature, with 27.3°C recorded between 1991 and 2020. While rising temperatures contribute to drought in northern regions, extreme rainfall can also cause devastating impacts on lives and property, particularly in the south. Although Nigeria does not rank among the 10 countries with the highest flood risk globally, its exposure remains significant, with flood risk scores ranging from 31.62 to 100.00 [pdf] and flood exposure ranging from 40.97 to 100.00, according to World Risk Report estimates.

In 2025, Nigeria ranked 60th among 193 countries [pdf] on the World Risk Index, a report that showcases the intensity and frequency of environmental hazards such as flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal and river cyclones, droughts, and sea-level rise. While these are partly human-driven, they are also increasing due to the exacerbation of climate change. In 2024, Nigeria ranked 61st, indicating that the situation is worsening, both in disaster severity and official preparedness. While Nigeria does not face all the listed hazards, those that do affect the country often occur at extreme levels. Such hazards impact both individuals and the economy.

In 2022, Nigeria recorded the third-highest internal displacement rate in Africa, primarily due to conflict and flooding. While environmental disasters are less common causes of internal migration, they remain significant in certain states. For instance, North-Central and North-West Nigeria accounted for 7% of disaster-related migration. Disaggregated data shows particularly high percentages in some states: Kogi (90%), Katsina (15%), Nasarawa (14%), Kano (12%), and Kaduna (12%).

The climate crisis remains the largest driver of the increasing severity of natural disasters [pdf]. Among these disasters, flooding is the most prominent in Nigeria.

Climate disasters can also adversely affect people’s livelihoods. Having accounted for over 31% of the GDP in the third quarter of 2025, agriculture remains a critical part of Nigeria’s economy, and disruptions in human capacity and livelihoods directly affect output, food availability, and employment. The result is increased dependence on imports, declining living standards, and shrinking employment opportunities. Women are disproportionately affected [pdf] because they constitute a significant percentage of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

A typical example is Kano State, a northern hub for trade and agriculture, known for producing groundnuts, millet, cowpeas, maize, sorghum, and rice. Flooding in 2024 caused damage to over 25% of the state’s expected agricultural output [pdf], and the disaster resulted in 26 deaths, 50 injuries, and the destruction of over 1,000 houses. Between June and September 2024, flooding across Nigeria led to 280 deaths [pdf], 2,504 injuries, 122,330 homes destroyed, 17,000 acres of farmland damaged, and approximately 641,500 people displaced.

Other climate-related disasters in Nigeria include drought and heat waves, which are most severe in northern regions.

Despite the tremendous negative impacts of the climate crisis, Nigerians are finding ways to mitigate its effects. Several innovative solutions have been adopted. For example, Green Quest, a gamification and community action approach founded by Grace James, empowers communities to address flooding through education, engagement, and sustainable practices. While the government is also stepping in with collaborative policies and infrastructure initiatives, more needs to be done to reduce risk and suffering. Innovation is crucial, and everyone’s personal engagement can collectively lead to substantial positive results.

Findings by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) indicate that 2024 was the hottest year on record globally, based on analysis comparing data from 1850 to 2024. The report stated:

Each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850. Human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years.

Several activities, such as increased gas flaring [pdf], oil spills, carbon emissions from transport vehicles, agricultural emissions, and others, have contributed to Nigeria’s changing climate.  

Sadly, intense solar radiation is something we often adapt to, but climate change, including its effects like flooding and drought, must be addressed if future generations are to avoid its extreme effects. Human activity has contributed significantly to the extreme effects of climate change, but humans also hold the power to implement solutions. All hands must be on deck to bring about the change we wish to see.