Our correspondents write on the devastating effect of the heat wave across the 19 northern states and conclude that with the epileptic supply of electricity from the national grid and unfriendly ecosystems, urgent steps need to be taken to ameliorate the scorching effect

“As I stepped out of my house in Kaduna, the scorching sun hit my face in a blaze of rays from the side of a menacing sword temporarily blinding me. The accompanying heat which followed this sun was unbearable, like one suffocating in a thick blanket.

“I quickly grabbed my scarf to remedy the situation, covering both my head and face but even at that, it was only a little relief I got. It was a truly swelting Sunday.

“The streets were empty as though the heat had banished everyone indoors. The few residents I saw outside were huddled under the few available tree shades, fanning themselves with old newspapers or discarded plastic bags within their reach. The usually bustling markets were deserted, with only a few vendors selling nylon-packed water and a few bottled water. More beverage sellers flaunted their assorted brands of juice to the parched passers-by,” Gladys Akpojiyovwi narrated her experience in the last two weeks to The PUNCH.

Continuing, she added, “Even the birds seemed to have fled, leaving behind only the relentless sun beating down on us the hapless ones. There is no denying the fact that the entire city was under a scourge, and I couldn’t wait for the relief of nightfall.

“Alas! It became worse at night as we woke up in beads of sweat adorning our foreheads, neck region arms and other parts of our bodies. The light clothes we wore to sleep were not spared either. They were drenched in our various sweats. Walahi, the nights had not been confirmed as well. Good sleep had departed from many of our homes,” Gladys Akpojiyovwi lamented further.

This anecdote paints a vivid picture of the intense heat wave ravaging the northern part of the country, highlighting its impact on daily life and the residents’ desperation for relief.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had predicted prolonged heat waves across the country, with temperatures reaching as high as 39°C in the South and 41°C in the North. NiMet further warned that the high heat level could cause dehydration, heat-related illness, and respiratory issues, among other chronic conditions.

According to Gladys, a resident of the Sabon-Tasha, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the heat wave has become so unbearable that, “I no longer sleep inside the bedroom.”

She pointed out that she had resorted to sleeping outside, but within the premises of her house even with its attendant dangerous consequences. She described the situation as one caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, following the insecurity situation in the state.

She noted, “In an event where there’s a power outage, the situation is even worse. Yet, one can’t afford to sleep inside the house not even with the insecurity in the country.”

The situation is the same in Kano where residents have devised local precautionary measures against the extreme heat wave which began in March as a result of the scorching sun which has compelled the masses to take several precautionary measures against the extreme heat weather condition.

The PUNCH findings showed that since the heat wave set in, residents of the state have continued to take various local precautionary measures to mitigate the risk of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke.

Measures adopted by the hapless residents to ward off the heat wave that is currently wreaking havoc in the North?

According to The PUNCH findings in Kano, some residents who could not afford ice blocks or cold water due to the current economic hardship have resorted to buying locally made pots (pots made from clay or mud) to keep water to drink. Others keep water under the fan so that the fan can cool the water before it can be taken.

It was further revealed that several residents prefer to sleep outside their rooms or on top of concrete slabs just for a fairly nice night rest while others have resorted to watering their floors in the evening as a way of cooling the floor.

Other measures taken by the residents against the current heat wave include wearing white coloured clothes as well as light breathable clothing to reduce the effect of high temperature in addition to reducing strenuous physical activity during peak heat hours by staying indoors as much as possible especially between the hours of 12:00 noon and 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm depending on individuals.

As the heat temperature increases, the Kano State government recently advised residents of the state to adopt precautionary measures to protect themselves against the negative consequences. The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf said the scale of the harsh temperature of heat, which began in March, caused an increase in malaria cases and mortality.

He said, “The people of Kano are very much aware of the fact that these three months – March, April and May, and the beginning of June – are the months of excessive heat that bring about so many health complications, including malaria and cerebral spinal meningitis.

“Now that malaria disease is on the increase due to the severity of the unbearable heat, the temperature has reached the level that it could affect the brain, liver or kidney, so much that if any of these organs are affected by malaria, death could occur.

“Currently, the intensity of the heat in Kano State is between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius, and the air in circulation is dry without moisture. This unfavourable condition could cause a scratch in the nose of a person which, if unluckily, inhales diseases causing meningitis and go to his brain, he could contract meningitis. That is the reason people are witnessing an increase in fever, severe headache, fainting, and loss of life.”

Yusuf also noted that excessive heat brings what has been commonly referred to as “heat stroke” which is a result of a shortage of blood and water in the body; a situation which causes brain damage, especially among elderly people and those working under the sun.

Therefore, he admonished residents to ensure that they protect themselves against mosquito bites by sleeping under the treated nets, covering doors and windows with nets to block mosquitoes from entering the rooms and use of insecticides, among others.

“People should shun overcrowding in rooms and halls, especially those with little ventilation systems so as not to contract meningitis,” he said, adding, “Those working under the sun should consume a lot of water and get enough rest to avoid heat stroke.”

Lokoja residents groan

Like Gladys in Kaduna, while narrating his own experience, Abubakar Suleiman, a resident of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, told our correspondent that due to the devastating effect of the heat wave, he has resorted to having a “cold shower every night and also repeat the same twice in the middle of the night as a means of coping with the present heat wave ravaging the city.”

Of recent, the state capital, Lokoja, had been adjudged as the hottest city in the North-Central geo-political zone of the country, due to its location; being sandwiched between River Niger and Mount Patti. Experts believe that all the heat absorbed by the river during the day is being released into the atmosphere while Mount Patti is too far away to absorb some of the heat on a typical day, “Lokoja metropolis can see the temperature rising above 47 degrees Celsius.”

Christiana Oyibo, who runs a restaurant in Lokoja, lamented her inability to preserve her food till the following day which was impacting her business negatively.

Also, Nasarawa residents have not been left out of the current lamentation over the heat wave across the state.

Further investigations by our correspondent in Lafia indicate that most residents of the state now find solace in sleeping outside their various houses at night instead of sleeping inside their rooms due to the bad weather conditions.

The residents, while lamenting that the poor electricity supply being experienced across the state was worsening the situation, added that they had stopped buying fuel to power their generating sets because of its unstable price. Consequently, they urged the federal and state governments to, as a matter of urgency, look into the matter to provide a solution to reduce their suffering.

Habila Iliya, a resident of Lafia, told our correspondent that exposure to heat waves could pose serious health, social and environmental risks, adding that pregnant women, infants, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to heat stress.

He said, “Since February, we have been experiencing the heat waves here in Nasarawa State. I think almost every community is also suffering from the heat. Most of us have stopped sleeping inside our rooms at night because of the terrible weather conditions.

“I want to urge the federal and state governments to consider commencing a mass planting of trees to reduce our sufferings in the coming years.

“Heat causes dehydration and some of the common symptoms that are usually experienced by the people in Nasarawa State during heat waves like this are dry lips, high body temperature, excessive thirst, dizziness, nausea, heat rashes, mild fever, rapid heartbeat, fainting, among others,” he further remarked.

Iliya, while advising citizens to imbibe the culture of drinking enough water, especially during the dry season, urged them to avoid unnecessary exposure to the hot weather to remain healthy.

“My advice to my fellow Nigerians is that they should understand that the heat waves can negatively affect their health, so they should try as much as possible to avoid walking under the sun and always ensure that they drink enough water at every given opportunity,” he stressed.

 Also, another resident, Juliet Jawakadu, who equally lamented the epileptic power supply in many local government areas of the state observed that the ugly situation has led to a sharp increase in the suffering of the residents during the heat wave.

She decried the absence of fuel supply at the various pump stations across the region and where available, the product is sold at increasingly high and unaffordable cost which she said is occasioned by the removal of the petroleum subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu administration.

According to her, it is most regrettable that most residents can no longer afford the product for domestic use.

Barring her mind to The PUNCH, she noted, “The high cost of fuel has denied many residents the opportunity to provide electricity through generating sets. At the moment, out of the 13 local government areas of the state, many communities and towns are experiencing a total blackout.

 “The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company has refused to provide constant electricity for the people despite the huge bills and the government has been silent about the matter.

 “It is high time the government did the needful. We are suffering this much during this heat period because there is no electricity to use in our houses. We are appealing that the matter should be looked into so that all residents can stay in their homes comfortably during this heat wave.”

Plateau residents

Similarly, residents of Jos, Plateau State are lamenting as the scorching hot weather persists in Tin City, known for its clement weather over the years.

It is not a common yearly experience for those who live in the capital city and other parts of Plateau State.

However, residents said the 2024 weather since January till date has been abnormal such that they find it difficult to cope with the extremely hot weather that has hit the state despite the outset of the rainy season.

A source from NiMet who craved anonymity because he is not directed to speak on the matter, disclosed that “the temperature level reached an all-time highest of 38 degrees Celsius o

In some days in the past week,” adding that the hot weather conditions which had persisted for some months might not subside anytime soon.

A cross-section of residents who spoke with our correspondent in Jos on Monday equally lamented the situation. According to them, the hot weather has not only kept them outdoors but has affected their business activities and way of life.

Mrs Charity Dung, a resident of Rukuba Road Community, has only slept in her room once since the hot weather became worse last week.

“Jos used to be very cold but not anymore. Most of my clothes used to be very thick but I have been wearing light clothes since I went to the market and changed my wardrobe completely last week.

“Even at that, we hardly sleep in the room at night because of heat. In the night everyone will be sweating as if one is doing exercise,” she stated.

A housewife, Ngozi Madueke, said she had stopped her children from wearing any form of clothes while going to bed. According to her, she took the decision as a precautionary measure after one of her children collapsed in their room due to heat and was later revived by neighbours who repeatedly poured water on him.

Madueke said, “I thought initially that after some time, the hot weather being experienced in Jos will return to its clement condition where we used to have as low as 10-degree temperature but it has not. Instead, the weather has become very unpredictable. I became afraid when one of my children was sweating profusely at night because of the heat. All the clothes on his body were removed yet, he was still sweating and eventually collapsed at a point.

“Thank God for my neighbours who came in and started pouring water on him. And that helped the situation. From that time I don’t allow them to wear their clothes any time they want to sleep to avoid such an incident until the hot weather improves.”

Another resident, Philip Mark, who deals in second-hand clothes, otherwise known as ‘okrika’, said he had changed from selling thick materials to light ones because of the prevailing situation.

He advised other residents to keep safe by ensuring that they stay in well well-ventilated environment and wear clothes that do not expose them to more heat.

Benue residents

Another round of lamentation about the heat wave is from residents of Benue State.

However, the geographic location of the state is unique because it lies within the River Benue where the state derives its name. Experts believe that the state’s proximity to the river is one of the reasons Markurdi, the state capital, always experiences extensive heat during the dry season.

With early sunrise and late sunset, the state weather forecast hovers around 34 to 42 Celsius.

While some people say that bathing several times a day and resorting to a large intake of water helps to keep cool, others say they simply prefer to stay under the shade of the trees in the afternoon to receive fresh air.

However, our correspondent observed that those living in the Tiv rural communities have a peculiar shelter (thatched houses) that seemed friendly during the heat period.

According to a community leader, Anawah Joseph, thatched houses that are common in Tiv rural settlements signified the traditional way of building a structure until the advent of zinc.

However, he said those thatched houses were also good during the heat period because they were cool.

He insisted, “Actually, it’s not because of heat but it’s the type of building our people knew and the materials were readily available for them before the coming of zinc.

“It provides good shade. Incidentally, a thatched house gives a good atmosphere and under this weather (heat period) people enjoy it very well. If you sleep inside without a fan or air conditioning, the weather is cool inside.”

While few people still maintain such thatched houses in urban areas, several people have devised means to cope with extreme heat ravaging the part of the region.

A civil servant, Daniel Attahi, who showed his chest and back to our correspondent but declined to have his picture taken, said that he and other family members have rashes all over their bodies. Attahi who lives in Adeke, a suburb of Makurdi metropolis, said, “It’s my last child of two years that I pity most. He cannot sleep at all until the breeze starts blowing around three in the morning.

“We have to come outside to sleep because of the extensive heat and anytime the breeze seized it was hell. I will have to fan my kids with either clothes or something else.”

Attahi said the heat period looks like a battle between humans and other reptiles, explaining more that luck was the family’s saving grace a few days ago when a snake crawled onto the mat the family slept on.

“Just a few days ago while we slept outside, no one knows how a snake crept into the compound. Our luck was that I didn’t have deep sleep. Occasionally I wake up to fan my kids, especially when the breeze has seized.

“Suddenly, I just heard something crawling around where my first son lay. I stood up and lit up the torch. Lo and behold it was a snake. I didn’t know when I shouted and before you know it, it disappeared,” he said.

 Despite the ugly experience, Attahi said the family still sleeps outside but now with caution.

It was the same story for Simon Akir, who alongside his family lives in a rented apartment at Demekpe in the state capital.

To cope with the extreme heat, Akir said the whole residents now take solace in sleeping outside and retiring back to their rooms between 3 am and 4 am when the weather is a bit friendly.

He said, “In the whole area, no one sleeps in his or her room any more. You know that the power supply has been epileptic these days, even when there is light, the fan blows hot air. So, the alternative is to sleep outside from 7 pm every day.

“We have our dinner outside and lay on mats, mattresses or tables depending on what we have till the wee hours of the day. Sometimes, we don’t retire to the rooms. When it’s daybreak you start getting set for the day’s work and the circle rolls on.”

Taraba residents

Meanwhile, as the scorching heat wave continues to grip Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, residents are pulling out all the stops to beat the heat and stay cool.

With temperatures soaring to unprecedented levels ranging from 39 to 43 degrees in most parts of the last two months, locals are resorting to ingenious methods to cope with the intense heat.

A resident of Sabon-Gari, Mallam Abdullahi Umar, said the current heat wave, which has continued unabated for weeks, has brought about challenging conditions for the residents of the city and the state.

According to him, with temperatures regularly exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, the heat has become more than just uncomfortable; posing serious health risks, especially to vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly.

Umar, a postgraduate student of Geography from the Taraba State University, Jalingo and a programme officer of Ambassadors of Climate Change, a non-governmental organisation, said despite the adverse conditions, Jalingo residents continued to showcase their resilience and resourcefulness in the face of the heat wave.

He said, “One common strategy we advise people to employ this time is staying indoors during the hottest parts of the day and venturing out only during cooler hours.

“Many households have installed fans and air conditioning units to combat the oppressive heat indoors. However, due to frequent power outages, not everyone has access to these amenities.

“For the past 10 days, there has been no light in Taraba, Adamawa and Gombe due to a major problem with the transmission line. So some residents have turned to alternative energy sources such as solar panels to power their cooling devices.

“For those who cannot afford solar and high electricity bills, they have revived traditional cooling methods to beat the heat. In our door-to-door campaign in some parts of Jalingo, we advise people to use an evaporative cooling system which involves dampening clothing or hanging wet sheets in doorways to lower the temperature.”

For Sarah Enoch, a mother of three, who resides in the Nukkai area of Jalingo, the Nukkai River provides an alternative for them to cool off.

“The vigilante group now protects people in our area to cool off on the sand of the river at night. For those who don’t go to the river at night for fear of mosquitoes, it’s a common thing to notice people having their bath several times at night,” Enoch stated.

Speaking, Taraba State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Aishat Barde, told our correspondent on the telephone that the ministry was aware of the heat wave and had activated an awareness team to sensitise people to it.

She said, “We are already creating awareness and educating the people on what they need to do. The heat wave comes with a lot of health risks too. We are not taking it lightly.

“The good news is that soon the rains will return and the situation will be brought under control but for now, we are intensifying awareness.”

In Gombe State, the residents continue to lament the excessive heat wave following the shortage of rainfall across the state. While rain has fallen in some parts of the state, other areas have yet to witness a single drop of rainfall.

A resident, Abdullahi Goje, while speaking on the matter, said, “For months now, we have been battling with excessive heat in the state.  No thanks to the Jos Electricity Distribution Company and Transmission Company of Nigeria. For more than a week now we have not had a regular power supply.”

Also, speaking, Moses Humphrey told our correspondent that the heat has become unbearable, noting further, “It’s more difficult as a family man with children, especially when you are living in a rented apartment. You will need to squeeze yourself in your little space with your kids. I’m not finding it funny at all.”

On her part, Aisha Abubakar said, “We will keep enduring the heat till June when the rainfall will be intense but for now we need to wear clothes that are friendly to heat. I’m trying to adjust to the weather.”

Another resident, Zambuk Ahmed, noted that the weather has been too harsh, stressing that he takes his bath more regularly than usual.

He said, “I take my shower more regularly to be comfortable because the heat is unbearable. This is when I’m at home but when I’m at work I just wait till I return but the weather is not friendly at all.”

Residents of Sokoto State in the North-West region say they are groaning under the heat wave amidst an epileptic power supply. Muhammad Usman, a resident of Sokoto, described the current heat in the state as one of the worst ever in the history of the state.

Usman said, “I cannot imagine how people in the state, especially those within the metropolis, feel these days due to this weather.

“For over one month now, the weather has been moving between 41 and 45 degrees with everyone in the state lamenting. Do you know that even the just concluded Ramadan fast in the state was not that easy for most of us in this state?

“We have to do the fasting simply because it was ordained as one of the pillars of our religion (Islam) and very compulsory for that matter, otherwise a lot of people would have skipped it.

“I have a colleague who requested his annual leave to go to Lagos during the fasting period simply because he couldn’t cope with the situation.”

He further lamented that the recent scarcity of fuel has also contributed to the situation being faced.

“The most annoying part of the situation is the high cost of petroleum which does not give us the strength to make use of a generator. Before now, we used to make use of ice blocks or cold water, especially for those riding motorcycles. Even in the night now most people find it very hard to sleep overnight due to the harsh weather conditions. One can hardly sleep up for two hours because of the weather.

“It is not easy my brother. We cannot just cope further. We have to appeal to the management of Kaduna Electric to improve on the power supply to minimise the suffering,” Usman stated.

Muzin Abubakar, a motorcycle operator in the state, says he has adjusted his working hours to avoid the heat.

“I have to adjust my working hours these days to reduce the stress of the heat. You can never see me working during the day now. Once I go out in the morning, anything from 10 am I should be at home. I wouldn’t go out again until after the 8 pm prayers in the night when the weather would have been okay compared to the afternoon period,” he said.

Borno residents

In Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as the atmospheric temperature fluctuates between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius, residents have devised several means of keeping themselves cool for bare comfort to carry out their normal duties.

 “To survive the scorching heat, we resort to pouring twelve 50 litres of jerry cans of water on the ground where we spread large mats under shades where we spend the greater part of the day,” Goni Bukar told The PUNCH in Maiduguri, on Monday.

Drenching the ground with a large quantity of water where large mats are to be spread for people to sit during scorching atmospheric heat has been a common practice in the semi-Sahelian region.

“We take hot tea during heat much more than we do during other seasons, to stabilise our body temperature,” Mohammed Kachalla stated, explaining, “When you take hot tea during heat, especially when the heat wave sweeps across the land, the heat does not discomfort you, and you do not get uncomfortably thirsty.”

But Ahmed Dala, another resident, rather goes for a very cold sachet of water, and he drinks more during the heat than in other seasons. “Most people drink more water than they eat food,” Dala said.

“We resort to taking a lot of watermelon whenever it is too hot because it tastes cool and it, therefore, stabilises your body temperature. For the past two months, I have never been tired of eating watermelon,” Abdullahi Musa said, adding, “That is why fruits, especially watermelon, are consumed more this time.”

Zamfara residents

No doubt, the people of Zamfara State are also affected by the heat which began in April, forcing residents to move to nearby trees in search of comfort, The PUNCH has learnt.

Following the epileptic power supply across the state whereby many residents could not afford to purchase a generator or solar energy, residents have resorted to taking shelter under trees to avoid the heat.

Findings by The PUNCH have also shown that the housewives who are always at home with children, now bath their children to “cool down their bodies.”

Our correspondent reported that water vendors who have cold water in their refrigerators are now doing brisk business despite the increase in the prices of the commodity.

A bottle of cold water which used to sell at N200 now goes for between N250 and N300, while a sachet water called pure water, now sells at N20 against N10 before the heat wave began.

 An okada rider, Sani Rabe who spoke to The PUNCH said he had stopped moving under the sun due to fear of dehydration.

“Because of the serious heat we are currently experiencing here in the state, I can only go out from 6 am and return to my house by 11 am while I will resume by 5 pm and stop by 11 pm,” he added.

 Kwara state

For Kwara State, the various hospitals are beginning to record an unusually large number of attendance.

The reportedly increase in the number of patients visiting the hospitals across the state, health watchers say is a result of the prolonged heat being experienced by the people of the state in the last four months.

Though the hospital record of patients in the state was not readily available to PUNCH’s correspondent concerned residents in Ilorin, the state capital confirmed that more patients have visited hospitals in recent times following complaints of inability to sleep well as a result of the heat.

Ilorin, the state capital has been enjoying a temperature of between 28 and 34 degrees Celsius between January and April according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency at the General Tunde Idiagbon Airport, Ilorin.

Residents of the community who say that they have been experiencing a lot of heat stated that they stay outside their houses especially at night stressing that they have been frequenting hospitals to complain of Malaria fever, body hitching, scratches, Measles and other related ailments, especially among the children.

Mallam Abdullahi Adisa who said that he resides in the Alagbado area in the Ilorin metropolis said that he had not been sleeping well since the heat began in January adding that he had gone to the general hospital to complain to the doctors about this.

“I have not been sleeping well for some time and I thought I had Malaria fever. I went to the general hospital to see a doctor but I was told that it was not Malaria fever that I had but that the current heat was affecting my sleep. I also had body hitching while my children were also having high temperatures and scratches on their bodies.

“The rooms used to be hot in the night and this made it inconvenient for people to sleep at night. The heat is compounded by the poor supply of electricity by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (which is responsible for the supply of electricity in Ilorin. When the night fell, i and my family used to stay longer outside in front of our house to enjoy the fresh air until around 2 am before we went into the house to sleep. That is how we have been coping with the heat.”

Abdullahi said that his area at Alagbado has not been enjoying a regular supply of electricity in the last three months before the commencement of the just concluded Ramadan.

A petty trader, Alhaja Sakiratu Lawal who resides at Oke Adini in the Sango area of Ilorin said that two of her grandchildren were rushed to the hospital for contracting Measles which she said was a result of the excessive heat.

She explained that she and her family comprising of her grandchildren used to stay outside her house till late into the night before they went into their room to sleep.

Another Civil Servant identified as Lawrence Adeyemi admitted that the excessive heat had affected the lives of the people adding that his family had been coping with the use of a Solar Fan that provided them with a breeze inside the room.

A Medical practitioner, Dr Ajibola Ajisafe said that excessive heat had had adverse effects on the people as a result of the present state of weather conditions which he said is not good for the people.

According to him, small children are prone to a lot of complications in this type of weather, adding that some diseases such as measles and other common ailments are common in this type of weather condition.

Ajisafe advised people to always expose themselves to a lot of fresh air to be free from contracting these communicable diseases.