LAGOS: Azeez Akanni hopped on a yellow bus heading for the central business district on Lagos Island, beads of sweat rolling down his neck and arms.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old clothier regularly navigates chaotic traffic to deliver luxury clothes and footwear to customers across the megacity of Lagos, Nigeria\u2019s commercial capital. But his and millions of others\u2019 commutes have been snarled by brutal temperatures as Africa\u2019s most populous country fights a heat wave.<\/p>\n
Adding to the pain, a spike in fuel prices from the Iran war has sent costs for air conditioning and back-up generators shooting up alongside the mercury.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sun is too hot,\u201d Akanni told AFP, wedged between two equally sweaty passengers.<\/p>\n
High temperatures are nothing new in the west African nation, perched just above the equator.<\/p>\n
But according to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, things are getting worse; it warned in a 2025 report that in the decade from 2016-2025, nine out of the 10 years were \u201camong the 12 warmest on record.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, UK-based Korean DJ JinseoulMusic, who is currently touring Nigeria, shared her struggles in a post on Instagram to her more than 430,000 followers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurviving Nigerian heat with no light,\u201d she wrote, using the colloquial term for electricity. \u201cHeat woke me up in the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Analysts blame the rising temperatures in Lagos on climate change, its coastal location, dense population, limited greenery and heavy traffic.<\/p>\n
The constant use of generators compounds the issue, as the petrol-guzzling machines release heat and greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n
Public transport meanwhile is shambolic, with most commercial vehicles dilapidated and lacking working air conditioning.<\/p>\n
Temperatures peaked in Lagos at 35C at the end of March, according to NiMet.<\/p>\n
They reached 38C in the capital Abuja, while Sokoto in the northwest hit 44C, with NiMet describing the conditions as \u201cunhealthy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s unique economic situation as Africa\u2019s fourth-largest economy, but with a dilapidated power grid much less stable than some of its poorer neighbors, has led to the widespread use of private generators, at least among those who can afford them.<\/p>\n
That number may be dwindling as fuel prices soar due to the Iran war.<\/p>\n
\u201cI no longer use it because of the hike in price,\u201d Emmanuel Chinonso, 40, a ride-share driver in Abuja, told AFP.<\/p>\n
When the grid goes out on a sweltering night, so does his fan, he said.<\/p>\n
Like elsewhere in the country, gasoline prices have nearly doubled in the capital, from around 850 naira per liter to more than 1,300 \u2014 a record high in a country where petrol sold for around 195 naira at the start of 2023.<\/p>\n
Many drivers, like Chinonso, keep their car air conditioning off to conserve fuel \u2014 and \u201cplead\u201d for a tip from customers in return for switching it on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you explain to them, some of them are very understanding and kind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite humid air thick with dust and vehicle fumes, and engines idling as vehicles waited for passengers on a recent Wednesday, thousands of Lagos traders continued to display their goods under direct sunlight, despite warnings against prolonged exposure.<\/p>\n
Hawkers balancing basins of iced fizzy drinks moved through traffic, offering quick relief to commuters.<\/p>\n
With the cost of living on the rise following years of high inflation, many traders exposed to the sun and polluted air are more concerned about putting food on the table than air quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe weather is not good,\u201d Aminat Jimoh told AFP as he fried tofu by a cluttered roadside. \u201cBut we have to endure because we cannot eat if we don\u2019t come here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The heatwave could also worsen Nigeria\u2019s malaria burden. According to the World Health Organization, climate change \u2014 through increased rainfall, temperatures and humidity \u2014 can in some cases accelerate malaria transmission by enabling mosquitoes to breed faster.<\/p>\n
Nigeria recorded about a quarter of the world\u2019s malaria cases and 30 percent of global deaths in 2024, according to the WHO.<\/p>\n
The approaching rainy season offers some relief as storms tamp down temperatures.<\/p>\n
But it will also bring its own challenges, such as flooding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that rain has its own problem but I can\u2019t wait for this heat to go,\u201d Akanni said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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