LAGOS — The reality of climate change in Nigeria is no longer distant or abstract. Across the country, extreme weather events—scorching heat, deadly floods, and erratic rainfall—are leaving behind a trail of public health emergencies that experts warn the nation is ill-prepared to manage.
The devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State, earlier this year underline the crisis. Over 200 lives were lost, communities were displaced, and farmland, homes, and schools were swept away. But beyond the destruction, contaminated water sources triggered outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoeal diseases, stretching healthcare facilities already operating at their limits.
The Malaria Burden
One of the most visible ways climate change is deepening Nigeria’s health challenges is through malaria. Heavy rainfall and flooding create breeding sites for mosquitoes, increasing human-vector contact. Mr. Adeniyi Adeneye, Research Fellow at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), explained: “Climate change is significantly amplifying the threat of malaria in vulnerable regions like Lagos.”
In a recent study he co-authored, researchers discovered that most surveyed households in Lagos completely avoid using mosquito nets, despite malaria being one of the deadliest diseases for children under five. Residents see Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets as “heat-causing” and “inconvenient,” leading to “zero ownership and use” in surveyed areas—a sharp contrast to national averages. Rising temperatures are not only discouraging prevention but also complicating treatment. Misdiagnosis of fevers caused by heat often results in the irrational use of antimalarial drugs, raising fears of growing parasite resistance.
Heatwaves, Pollution, and Food Insecurity
The February 2024 West African heatwave, made four degrees Celsius hotter by human-induced warming, showed just how dangerous rising temperatures can be. In Nigeria, heat indices have climbed as high as 50°C, endangering children, pregnant women, and the elderly. WHO data shows that every 1°C rise in temperature increases the risk of preterm births by five percent—a dangerous reality in a country where floods also destroy maternal care centres.
Air pollution is adding to the burden. In Port Harcourt, soot from illegal refineries has left children vulnerable to chronic respiratory problems, while Lagos residents inhale toxic fumes from endless generator use and waste burning. Professor Akin Osibogun, former Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, noted: “Climate change is aggravating asthma, hypertension, and diabetes through heat and pollution. We need clean energy alternatives, better urban planning, and enforcement of emission standards not just for compliance, but to save lives.”
Meanwhile, food insecurity is worsening malnutrition among children. More than 11 million under-fives are already stunted, and desertification in northern Nigeria is forcing farmers into unsustainable practices like bush burning, which destroy biodiversity and intensify heatwaves.
Floods and Water-Borne Diseases
Data from the Federal Government reveals that in 2022, over 1.4 million Nigerians were affected by flooding, with more than 600 deaths and 110,000 hectares of farmland destroyed. Forecasts suggest the damage in 2024 and 2025 will be even worse. Medical experts warn that beyond the immediate loss of lives, stagnant floodwaters serve as breeding grounds for cholera, typhoid, and malaria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has already issued alerts for potential cholera outbreaks this rainy season. Over 1,200 communities in 176 Local Government Areas have been marked as high-risk flood zones, with millions at risk of water-borne illnesses.
Emotional and Mental Health Toll
The health crisis is not just physical. Climate-induced displacement and economic hardship are fuelling stress, trauma, and depression, particularly among rural dwellers. Hauwa Ibrahim, a Lagos-based mental health nurse, explained: “People displaced by floods often come to us depressed, hopeless. We are seeing emotional collapse.”
The elderly and disabled face heightened risks during disasters, often unable to evacuate when floods or heatwaves strike. With unreliable electricity, millions rely on petrol and diesel generators, exposing families to toxic fumes that worsen cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
Call for Urgent Action
Health professionals warn that Nigeria cannot continue treating climate change as a distant problem. Dr. Ozuomba Sixtus, Chairman of the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON), cautioned: “What we’re dealing with is an ongoing crisis. If we don’t act now, the health consequences will be more devastating than we can imagine.”
The Federal Ministry of Health has started work on Nigeria’s first Health National Adaptation Plan, aimed at building climate-resilient healthcare systems, improving disease surveillance, and setting up early-warning mechanisms. However, experts insist that implementation remains slow and fragmented.
Professor Osibogun also stressed that policies must be sincere and people-centred: “Policy enforcement should not be used as an avenue for revenue generation. Environmental regulations must be designed with the health of citizens in mind.”
The Way Forward
Experts are calling for bold policies that reduce fossil fuel dependence, curb deforestation, and expand clean energy access. They also emphasize the need for reforestation campaigns, improved waste management, and stronger investment in healthcare infrastructure. Without these measures, Nigeria risks entering a future that is not just hotter, but deadlier.
For ordinary Nigerians like Fatima Musa, who was seen outside a Kano clinic fanning her feverish son amid overcrowding and swarming flies, the consequences are already here. Her story mirrors millions of families navigating the health fallout of climate change daily.
As WHO and the World Meteorological Organisation warn, climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths annually worldwide between 2030 and 2050 due to heat stress, undernutrition, and disease. For vulnerable countries like Nigeria, the human toll is already unfolding.