If you have been in Nigeria in the past few weeks, you step outside and the air instantly burns your skin. Indoors, your fan just pushes hot air around. This is no ordinary dry season arriving; Nigeria is suffocating under a relentless heatwave. We are enduring the direct impact of El Niño, and the stakes are a matter of life and death.

Yet, this extreme weather has caught neither the world nor Nigeria by surprise. In August, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) warned in its Seasonal Climate Prediction Update that ocean observations confirmed the onset of a strong El Niño event for 2026. This essentially meant an increasing likelihood of above-normal temperatures across the globe. The agency added that many states could experience the condition from August to October.

Now, that deadly reality is here. A new Climate Impact Lab report projects 31,400 additional heat-related deaths in Nigeria over the next six months. Here is everything you need to know about the phenomenon driving the current heatwave and how to be safe from its impact. 

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a climate pattern that begins far away from Africa in the Pacific Ocean. Normally, winds blow warm surface water from South America towards Asia, allowing cold water to rise from the deep. During an El Niño year, these winds weaken or blow in the opposite direction. This causes the ocean surface to become unusually warm.

Because the Pacific Ocean is vast, this extra heat acts like a giant domino effect and disrupts patterns everywhere. A change in the ocean over there dictates the extreme climate we experience here. El Niño is Spanish for “the boy”. Peruvian fishermen coined it because the warming tends to appear around Christmas.

How does El Niño affect Nigeria?

The earth operates on one connected atmosphere. When the Pacific gets too warm, it alters global wind currents. For Nigeria, El Niño typically brings significantly less rain and much higher temperatures. The cooling breezes we normally expect become much weaker. Our atmosphere traps heat close to the ground. This creates a suffocating greenhouse effect in our crowded cities and towns. Concrete buildings and tarred roads absorb this heat during the day and release it at night. This means our neighbourhoods never truly cool down.

According to NiMet, drier-than-normal conditions are expected over southern Nigeria, especially Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, and Delta, from August to October. The agency says these drier-than-normal conditions are likely to affect Kogi and parts of Benue State.

Why is this heat dangerous?

This severe heat is a genuine public health crisis. Extreme temperatures put immense stress on the human body. Cooling down becomes difficult when the outside air is hotter than your internal temperature. In our humid climate, your sweat cannot evaporate quickly. This leaves you feeling even hotter.

Recognising the signs of heat exhaustion is crucial for survival. Symptoms include heavy sweating, severe weakness, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea, headache, and a rapid heartbeat. If you experience these, you must move to a cooler place immediately and drink water. If someone collapses, it could be a heatstroke. This requires urgent medical attention.

​How can you protect yourself outdoors?

​Your first and best line of defence is hydration. You must drink significantly more water than you think you need. Do not wait until you feel thirsty. Thirst is a clear sign that your body is already dehydrated. Carry a water bottle wherever you go and sip constantly throughout the day. Health experts also advise avoiding drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages. These force your body to lose more water.

​Pay close attention to your clothing choices. Heavy fabrics trap heat against your skin. You should wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes that help sweat evaporate. Light colours are also highly recommended because they reflect the sun’s rays away from your body.

Finally, manage your time outdoors carefully. The sun is most punishing between late morning and late afternoon. Try to schedule outdoor activities for the early morning or evening. When outside, seek shade or carry an umbrella to protect yourself.

​How can you stay cool at home?

​You must actively keep your living space as cool as possible. Open your windows at night to capture the evening breeze. Close your curtains or blinds during the day. This stops direct sunlight from turning your rooms into an oven. Because this is Nigeria and blackouts are a given, we cannot always rely entirely on electric fans or air conditioners. So, invest in rechargeable fans, preferably solar-powered variants. Also, take cool showers frequently to lower your body temperature naturally when the heat becomes unbearable.

​El Niño is a powerful natural event that we cannot stop, but we can certainly adapt to it. By taking these practical precautions, we can protect our health and weather this intense heatwave safely.