These days, the weather could be somewhat confusing. It seems never to be able to make up its mind on the way to go. Take Abuja for example. Just when you are getting set for the so-called heat period, boom, the harmattan breeze starts to caress the capital city all over again.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
For instance, you may have set your air conditioner to its coolest in the evening before going to bed, only to be awakened by a wintry chill in the middle of the night. So, if you are a deep sleeper, you are in for another health challenge. Not that this sudden visitor is unwelcome. It is just a reminder of the world we live in today because of climate change.
Even in the wider world, the vagueness of weather and climate persist. Take the United States of America for example. While last January may have been cold in the US, it was exactly the opposite in much of the rest of the world. In the Arctic, some areas reached temperatures 30ºC hotter than normal, leading to the second-lowest level of Arctic Sea ice ever recorded in January. Indeed, it was America’s coldest January in 37 years, but not in the whole country. While the continental US was chilling, Alaska recorded one of its warmest January ever. Also, it was the same month that California smouldered with apocalyptic wildfires.
Researchers from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service say that the world’s average temperature in January 2025 was 1.75°C warmer than before humans began burning fossil fuels. Officially, it was the hottest January on record. Global warming is generally measured by comparing the world’s current average temperature to the world’s average temperature before people first began burning coal to run factories – known as the pre-industrial era. As a result, scientists have warned that “dangerous climate breakdown” may have arrived.
This is exactly why Nigeria should take this year’s seasonal climate prediction very seriously. In fulfilment of its statutory responsibility to advise the government and people of Nigeria on all aspects of weather and climate, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency produces the SCP, annually, using hi-tech forecasting techniques, long-term meteorological data, and contemporary scientific knowledge. The SCP provides insight into some essential climate parameters and their expected behaviour within the season, giving the outlook of various climate variables, such as the year’s rainfall and temperature patterns in Nigeria. There are usually varied implications of the SCP for specific key economic and development sectors.
The 2025 SCP, with the theme “The Role of Early Warning Towards a Climate Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development”, was unveiled last week in Abuja by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo. The predicted length of the rainy season in 2025 is expected to be mostly normal over most parts of the country. However, Borno and parts of Yobe State could experience shorter than normal length of season. Lagos and Nasarawa States are likely to have longer than normal length of seasons in 2025.
According to the Director General/CEO of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, most parts of the country will experience significant rainfall events at the beginning of 2025; however, these rains will likely come before the onset. Therefore, the occurrence of these early rainfalls should not be taken to be the onset of the rainy season. He advised those engaged in rain-fed agriculture and other-rainfall-dependent activities in Nigeria to refer to the predicted onset dates in the SCP publication ( or consult NiMet for proper guidance.
The onset of rain is predicted to be delayed over the northern and central states of Plateau as well as parts of Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kwara. While early onset is expected over the southern states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, and sections of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi. The rest of the country is predicted to have a normal onset.
The predicted end-of-rainy season compared to the long-term average indicates that parts of Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, FCT, Ekiti, and Ondo states are expected to be early. A delayed end of the season is expected over parts of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Lagos, Kwara, Taraba, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu States.
Temperatures are expected to be generally above the long-term average across the country. Both daytime and nighttime temperatures are predicted to be warmer than the long-term average over most parts of the country in January, February, March, and May 2025. However, April day and nighttime temperatures are predicted to be cooler than normal, while warmer than normal temperatures are likely over most of the northern states.
Importantly, climate change also impacts on people’s health and well-being by altering the frequency or intensity of extreme weather events and the spread of certain pests and diseases. The outbreak and geographical distribution of malaria, meningitis, and heat stress across Nigeria are highly seasonal. Accumulated rainfall and temperature affect malaria outbreaks, while the incidence of meningitis is determined by relative humidity and dust concentration in the atmosphere.
The NiMet has extensively collaborated with the state governments; now is the time to deepen its impact by engaging the local government authorities. The required malaria and meningitis vigilance, as recommended by the SCP, cannot be robustly implemented without this critical arm of government.
I believe the country is ready for this important paradigm. A lot of progress has been made since last year’s Supreme Court judgement, which empowered the country’s third tier of government with its much sought-after autonomy. In theory, it is expected to engender a conducive socio-political atmosphere for the growth of the country’s teeming grassroots population, effectively enhancing good governance and democratic decentralisation in the polity. Currently, most state governors have constituted democratically elected local government chairmen and ward councillors.
For the sake of those who missed the news, on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.
Essentially, this will enable local governments to make decisions and take action without needing approval from state governments, which hitherto denied them their fiscal dues, especially from the monthly Federal Allocations. In other words, local government council chairmen now have the legal enablement and financial muscle to help Nigeria push weather information and climate services to the grassroots where they are needed the most.
Climate change has the potential to damage council assets, cause serious disruptions to the delivery of council services, generate unbudgeted financial impacts and affect the well-being of the community, particularly those vulnerable to weather extremes. It is, therefore, important that local councils are provided with the information and guidance they need to prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
Think about it, in which segment of the country (rural or urban) do people engage more in rain-fed agriculture? Which citizens of the country easily get washed away by floods, or uprooted by desert encroachment?
In collaborating with NiMet, local governments will serve as platforms for broadening and fostering inclusive climate services for rural development. Platforms such as rural radio stations, community networks and agricultural extension linkages should be incorporated into the mission to downscale the seasonal climate prediction. There is an indicator to NiMet’s inclusive philosophy: The usual participation of rural farmers who have benefited from the SCP – like the millet farmers that harvested twice in one season – and this year’s active participation of persons with disabilities. I, for one, look forward to seeing more farmers enjoy double harvests in a wet season because they were guided by the rainfall predictions.