Nigeria on the Brink: How Climate Crises Are Reshaping the Nation's Economy and Environment

The impact of climate crises is no longer a distant threat; they unfold in real-time. For example, where did the lake chad water go? Lake Chad was the 11th largest water body on earth, and due to extreme weather changes, desertification, and increased population demand for the water resources, the lake has shrunk to less than 10 percent of its original size of 25,000 square kilometers. Research has shown that there is an interconnected relationship between human activities, its environment, and climate crises. The consequences of climate crises are far-reaching for numerous nations. Nigeria’s struggling economy is now losing about $9 billion annually to climate-related disasters. The idea that we can endlessly exploit the environment without facing consequences is unsustainable. The discovery of crude in the Oloibiri Niger Delta Region in 1956 soon became a curse; the once fertile and biodiverse land known for its dense mangrove forest, wildlife, and fishing activities became a thing of the past. Reportedly, due to lack of maintenance of pipelines and sabotage, over 240,000 barrels of crude oil are spilled every day in the Niger Delta lands, water, and surroundings. The rivers are now toxic with no aquatic life, lands are now barren, mangroves wiped out, and the breathing air is so bad that breath smells as crude. Also, skies are now filled with smog as a result of gas flaring released during oil extraction in the region. 64,000 Nigerians were reported to have died in 2017 from air pollution and related illnesses (Health Effects Institute 2017). In 2018, 7.4 billion cubic meters of gas flared in Nigeria significantly contributed to the acceleration of global warming and climate crises.
In northern Nigeria, temperature has risen 1.5 degrees over the past few decades, soil that used to be fertile has become dry and barren, and there has been a steady loss of land due to desertification, flooding, and climate-related crises. Annually, approximately 350,000 hectares, an area nearly twice the size of Lagos, and an estimated $5.1 billion are lost to desert encroachment. The resulting scarcity of arable land has forced farmers and herdsmen to migrate southward in search of livelihood and vegetation for grazing, which has led to conflict and competition for arable land across the nation. Recent flooding events in Borno State, Nigeria, illustrate the profound and far-reaching consequences of these climate crises. Following the catastrophic floods on September 10, 2024, Unicef reported that approximately 70 percent of the Maiduguri population was affected, 37 lives were lost, and over 400 individuals were displaced as a result of the flood. In response to the devastating floods, the Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal emphasized the role of climate crises in exacerbating the flooding incidents. He emphasized the serious nature of the situation, stating that the Ministry is conducting continuous water sampling to prevent waterborne diseases resulting from decomposed bodies and damaged sewage systems. The Maiduguri flood disaster resonates with the urgent effect of climate crises, a challenge that is obviously prevalent across Nigeria and the globe. The consequences and effect of climate change in Nigeria, if left unaddressed, would pave the way for the possibility of the earth becoming uninhabitable for humans.