By Uchechi Afonne
Residents of low-income communities in Lagos say worsening heat conditions are exposing stark inequalities in access to decent housing, reliable electricity and cooling systems.
The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that although rainfall recorded over the past two days brought temporary relief, humid conditions and erratic power supply continued to make indoor temperatures unbearable, especially at night.
While affluent households rely on air conditioners and generators to cope with rising temperatures, many poor families endure sleepless nights in overcrowded rooms with poor ventilation.
In communities such as Oshodi, Ikeja and Agege, residents said frequent power outages and zinc-roofed buildings intensified indoor heat even after rainfall.
Mrs Funmi Adebayo, a food vendor in Agege, said the heat had made nights particularly difficult for her family.
“There are nights when you can hardly breathe because of the heat. Even when there is electricity, our small fan does almost nothing because the room is too hot,” she said.
Mr Mojeed, a commercial bus driver in Ikeja, said rainfall had done little to improve conditions in congested buildings.
“You work under the sun all day and return to a hot room at night. Even after the rain, the room feels hotter because there is no ventilation,” he said.
Mrs Esther Nnadi, a petty trader in Agege, said she and her children often slept outside whenever the power supply failed.
“The children cannot sleep indoors when the heat becomes too much. Sometimes we spread mats outside until midnight,” she said.
At Oshodi, Mr Kelechi, a roadside welder, said the harsh weather was affecting both his health and productivity.
“The heat drains your energy quickly. Sometimes I stop work just to sit under a shade and drink water,” he said.
Environmental experts describe the situation as “heat poverty,” a condition in which access to cooling systems, stable electricity and decent housing determines how severely residents experience extreme temperatures.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned that dehydration, heat exhaustion and fatigue are more likely in densely populated, low-income communities with limited access to cooling facilities.
By contrast, residents of affluent neighbourhoods such as Ikoyi and Lekki described the weather as uncomfortable but manageable because of access to cooling systems and more reliable electricity supply.
At a recent climate adaptation discussion in Ikeja, stakeholders advocated increased urban greening and improved infrastructure to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures on vulnerable communities.
They called for better electricity supply, more tree planting and sustainable urban planning to reduce the impact of extreme heat.
The Executive Director of Renevlyn Development Initiative, Mr Philip Jakpor, told NAN recently that the current heatwave was the result of years of neglect of environmental recommendations.
“The current heatwave in Nigeria is not a mystery. It is the culmination of years of neglect of the advice of environmentalists that government should address factors driving the climate crisis,” he said.
Jakpor said Nigeria’s continued reliance on fossil fuels, including oil extraction and gas flaring, was contributing to global warming.
He also decried the rapid loss of urban green spaces.
“What we see today are government-approved developments that have turned our cities into concrete jungles. Trees are removed faster than they are replaced, and in many cases they are not replaced at all,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
