A new report by the Climate Impact Lab has projected that Nigeria could record 31,400 additional deaths from extreme heat over the next six months as El Niño weather pattern intensifies.
The report estimates that the wider Sahel region of Africa could record 66,800 additional heat-related deaths, with nearly half expected in Nigeria.
The projections come as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, raising the risks of extreme heat, droughts and flooding across vulnerable communities.
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Speaking at a joint press conference on Wednesday, Celeste Saulo, WMO secretary-general, said the phenomenon could peak towards the end of 2026, with its effects continuing long after.
Saulo said the organisation’s latest global seasonal climate outlook projects that temperatures in the tropical Pacific could rise to 3.8°C above average between November 2026 and January 2027.
She said a powerful El Niño could disrupt normal temperature and rainfall patterns, bringing severe drought to some regions, heavy rainfall and flooding to others, while increasing heat across large parts of the world.
Saulo urged governments and humanitarian organisations to use available forecasts and early-warning systems to prepare for the impacts and protect vulnerable populations.
She added that communities already affected by conflict, displacement and inadequate access to water, sanitation and healthcare could face additional humanitarian pressures.
Culled from The Cable
