The South West is one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, representing a geographic and political region in the country's southwest. The zone stretches along the Atlantic seaboard from the international border with Benin Republic in the west to the South South in the east, and the North Central to the north.
Culturally, the vast majority of the zone falls within Yorubaland, the indigenous cultural homeland of the Yoruba people, who constitute the largest ethnic group in the southwestern population. Linguistically, the South West is very homogenous when compared to other regions in Nigeria, with Yoruba being the dominant language.
Economically, the South West's urban areas, mainly the cities of Lagos and Ibadan, contribute greatly to the Nigerian economy, while rural areas lag. The region has a population of over 50 million people, more than 22% of the total population of the country. Lagos is the most populous city in the South West, as well as the most populous city in Nigeria and Africa.
The most widely spoken language in the South-West is Yoruba, one of the nation's most widely spoken indigenous languages and the native tongue of the Yoruba people, who constitute the largest ethnic group in the zone. Yoruba functions as both a mother tongue and a regional lingua franca, with numerous dialects spoken across the zone.
In addition to indigenous languages, English, the official language of Nigeria, is widely spoken and serves as the primary language of business, education, and government throughout the zone. Several non-indigenous Nigerian languages are also present due to internal migration, commerce, and regional integration.
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Nigeria has a tropical climate with variable rainy and dry seasons, depending on location. It is hot and wet most of the year in the southeast but dry in the southwest and farther inland. In general, the length of the rainy season decreases from south to north. In the south the rainy season lasts from March to November, whereas in the far north it lasts only from mid-May to September.
A marked interruption in the rains occurs during August in the south, resulting in a short dry season often referred to as the “August break.” Precipitation is heavier in the south, especially in the southeast, which receives more than 120 inches (3,000 mm) of rain a year, compared with about 70 inches (1,800 mm) in the southwest. Rainfall decreases progressively away from the coast; the far north receives no more than 20 inches (500 mm) a year.
Temperature and humidity remain relatively constant throughout the year in the south, while the seasons vary considerably in the north; during the northern dry season the daily temperature range becomes great as well. On the coast the mean monthly maximum temperatures are steady throughout the year, remaining about 90 °F (32 °C) at Lagos and about 91 °F (33 °C) at Port Harcourt; the mean monthly minimum temperatures are approximately 72 °F (22 °C) for Lagos and 68 °F (20 °C) for Port Harcourt.
In general, mean maximum temperatures are higher in the north, while mean minimum temperatures are lower. In the northeastern city of Maiduguri, for example, the mean monthly maximum temperature may exceed 100 °F (38 °C) during the hot months of April and May, while in the same season frosts may occur at night. The humidity generally is high in the north, but it falls during the harmattan (the hot, dry northeast trade wind), which blows for more than three months in the north but rarely for more than two weeks along the coast.
The South West is split with the Central African mangroves in the coastal far south while the major inland ecoregions are the Nigerian lowland forests ecoregion in the south and east along with the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion in the drier northwest. The weather conditions vary between Nigeria's two, distinctive seasons; the rainy season (March - November) and the dry season named the Harmattan (from November - February).
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The main vegetation patterns run in broad east-west belts, parallel to the Equator. Mangrove and freshwater swamps occur along the coast and in the Niger delta. A short way inland, the swamps give way to dense tropical rainforests. Economically valuable, the oil palm grows wild and is usually preserved when forest is cleared for cultivation.
In the more densely populated parts of the southeast, the original forest vegetation has been replaced by open palm bush. In the southwest large areas of forest have been replaced by cacao and rubber plantations. Tropical grassland occupies the area north of the forest belt and is studded with baobab, tamarind, and locust bean trees. The savanna becomes more open in the far north and is characterized by scattered stunted trees and short grasses.
Semidesert conditions exist in the Lake Chad region, where various species of acacia and the doum species of palm are common. Gallery forests (narrow forest zones along rivers) are also characteristic of the open savanna in the north. In densely populated areas of the savanna, such as those around the towns of Sokoto, Kano, and Katsina, the vegetation has been removed by continuous cropping, overgrazing, and bush burning.
In the far northern areas the nearly total disappearance of plant life has facilitated a gradual southward advance of the Sahara. Camels, antelopes, hyenas, lions, baboons, and giraffes once inhabited the entire savanna region, and red river hogs, forest elephants, and chimpanzees lived in the rainforest belt. Animals found in both forest and savanna included leopards, golden cats, monkeys, gorillas, and wild pigs.
Today these animals can be found only in such protected places as the Yankari National Park in Bauchi state, Gashaka Gumti National Park in Taraba state, Kainji Lake National Park in Kwara state, and Cross River National Park in Cross River state. Rodents such as squirrels, porcupines, and cane rats constitute the largest family of mammals. The northern savanna abounds in guinea fowl. Other common birds include quail, vultures, kites, bustards, and gray parrots. The rivers contain crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and a great variety of fishes.
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There are an estimated 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria. Each inhabits a territory that it considers to be its own by right of first occupancy and inheritance. Individuals who are not members of a dominant group but who have lived and worked for several decades in the territory of the group are still considered to be aliens.
In most rural areas, such aliens may not acquire outright title to land, yet considerable numbers of people have migrated from one ethnic territory to another in search of farmland. There are three major ethnic groups in the country: the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba, and the Igbo.
The northern-dwelling Hausa, one of the most numerous groups in the country, have become integrated with the smaller Fulani group, whose members conquered Hausaland in the early 19th century; the great majority of both are Muslims. Town-dwelling Fulani intermarry freely with the Hausa and other groups, and they continue to control the administration of the Hausa towns.
The cattle-herding rural Fulani, who generally do not intermarry, speak the Fulani language, Fula, rather than Hausa. Another large and politically dominant group is the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. They consider the city of Ile-Ife their ancestral home and the deity Oduduwa their progenitor.
Most Yoruba are farmers but live in urban areas away from their rural farmland. Each Yoruba subgroup is ruled by a paramount chief, or oba, who is usually supported by a council of chiefs. The ooni (oni) of Ile-Ife, who is the spiritual leader of the Yoruba, and the alaafin (alafin) of Oyo, who is their traditional political leader, are the most powerful rulers, and their influence is still acknowledged throughout the Yoruba areas.
The third major ethnic group, the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, lives in small decentralized and democratic settlements. The largest political unit is the village, which is ruled by a council of elders (chosen by merit, not heredity) rather than by a chief. A smaller proportion live in large towns and are culturally much closer to the Edo of neighbouring Benin City (in Edo state) than to the Igbo east of the lower Niger valley.
Less numerous are the Ibibio, who live near the Igbo and share many of their cultural traits, and the Edo, who created the important precolonial kingdom of Benin. In the middle belt, where the greatest concentration of ethnic groups (more than 180) occurs, the Tiv and the Nupe are the largest groups. Both are settled cultivators, but, while Nupe society is hierarchical, that of the Tiv tends to be decentralized.
Climate change has posed great risks to Nigeria’s national food security as it affects the rainfed agricultural activities in Southwest Nigeria which significantly contributes to the national food security. Southwest Nigeria is made up of six states, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos extending into two zones, Tropical rainforest zone and Southern Guinea Savannah zone.
The region faces harsh weather conditions including prolonged dry spells, abnormal rain patterns, and heat waves among others as a result of climate change. These conditions are leading into land degradation, and desertification further affecting sustainable agriculture production. Small holder farmers in these regions have had to find ways to adapt to these inevitable impacts of climate change.
Even so, they lack enough resources and support to effectively adapt and become resilient to climate change. To complement and accelerate their agriculture adaption efforts the AGNES, in partnership with Adaption Research Alliance and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation held a two-day subnational workshop in Ibadan Nigeria.
Climate change has largely influenced the weather pattern in this region that relies on weather seasons for agricultural activities. The most common and frequent experience is flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Flooding causes erosion which in turn reduces the nutrient value of the soil affecting the quality and quantity of farm produce.
Apart from causing floods, the rain season is irregular making it unreliable for agricultural activities and discouraging farmers as they continue to be uncertain on the best time of planting. Also, the region experiences a prolonged period of drought that inevitable causes scarcity of water. Further there is a notable increase in temperature throughout the year which affects both plants and animals.
During these seasons, the cost of production goes higher than normal while the yields significantly drop hence farmers experience great losses. Lastly The region experiences very strong harmattan winds for an extended period.
Due to the unstable and unpredictable weather patterns in these regions, famers have adjusted and adapt their planting times to match irregular rainfall. They’ve also developed and effective rainwater harvesting techniques to support their agricultural actives during dry spells. Instead of using traditional fertilizers, many farmers are now using organic ones, which work better in dry weather. They’re also covering their plants with mulch to help keep the soil moist.
According to Southwestern small holder farmers, the acceleration of their adaptation can be effectively done through need-based research. Farmers are at a better position of providing researchers with information about potential areas for research as they experience the challenges of climate changes directly.
Furthermore, a participatory approach is encouraged especially when it comes to innovating technology that aims to boost their resilience to climate change. Lastly, building the capacity of all farmers is essential in speeding up their adaptation rate. However, it seems like women are left behind slowing down the adaptation rate of farmers in the region.
As mentioned, it is important to consider the needs of farmers before conducting any research in bid to provide intervention. Among the top priority research areas, pests and diseases comes first as the area is said to be experiencing a lot of infestation which they believe stems from climate change. Second, there is need for research to delve deep into better capacity building strategies that can reduce gender-based discrimination in agriculture as many men are dominant in this sector.
South West Nigeria is one of the cooler regions in Nigeria, with an average daily high temperature of 32 degrees. High humidity and hot temperatures make the weather pleasant at times but also tropical humid. It is warm to hot all year round, inviting bathing at average water temperatures of 27 degrees. Due to less rain, the best time for traveling is from November to March. Most precipitation falls from June to October.
The mean temperature is determined around the clock, including at night. The temperatures are usually measured between 6 and 24 times a day and summarized as an average. The average annual temperature in the greater region of South West Nigeria is 27 degrees Celcius. It is highest in March at 29 °C and lowest in August.
The number of hours of sunshine refers to the time when the sun is actually visible. That is, without any obstruction of visibility by clouds, fog or mountains. With 7 hours per day, February is the sunniest month in the greater region of South West Nigeria. In August, the sun shines the least.
A rain day is a day on which at least 1 mm of precipitation (=1 liter) per square meter falls. This can be rain, snow, hail, or even dew. So it doesn't have to rain all day. With 18 rain days, June offers the most rain days, while December has the fewest.
The amount of precipitation is measured in millimeters per square meter. Thus, at two mm/day, two liters of water fall on one square meter within 24 hours. With only 0.4 mm, the least amount of rain falls in December. June, on the other hand, has the most rain.
Warm air can absorb more moisture than cold air. The relative humidity indicates how much moisture can be physically contained in the air. At high humidity, a person feels uncomfortable and perceives this as oppressive. In general, a relative humidity of 40-60% feels pleasant. With humidity averaging 87%, June is the most uncomfortable. In March, on the other hand, it is easier to endure.
The "Humidex" (humidity index) is an index of well-being in warmer areas, calculated from the air temperature, relative humidity and dew point. The index corresponds approximately to the temperature felt. At high temperatures, the body transports heat away by sweating. At high humidity, the ambient air can only absorb a small amount of sweat and thus one feels uncomfortable. An index of 20-29 is considered comfortable. Up to 39, people perceive the air as slightly uncomfortable, and above 40, as very uncomfortable. Values above 45 are dangerous in the long run and often lead to heat stroke.
| Month | Average High Temperature (°C) | Average Low Temperature (°C) | Rain Days | Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 21 | 1 | 5 |
| February | 32 | 22 | 2 | 10 |
| March | 32 | 23 | 5 | 35 |
| April | 31 | 23 | 10 | 100 |
| May | 30 | 22 | 15 | 180 |
| June | 29 | 22 | 18 | 250 |
| July | 28 | 21 | 16 | 220 |
| August | 27 | 21 | 15 | 200 |
| September | 28 | 21 | 17 | 230 |
| October | 30 | 22 | 12 | 150 |
| November | 31 | 22 | 3 | 30 |
| December | 31 | 21 | 1 | 5 |
Map of Nigeria
There is evidence that Nigeria is already experiencing environmental challenges attributed to climate change (CC) and its impacts. This has clearly highlighted the need for knowledge-based strategies to help plan adequate mitigation and adaptation measures for the country. One of the basic requirements to ensure such strategies is the development of a database of national CC research. This will aid in the assessment of past and present scientific publications from which directions for future study can be mapped.
The present study used standard, systematic, and bibliographic literature reviews to analyse the trend, focus, spatial variability, and effectiveness of published research on CC impacts in Nigeria. Four thematic areas of CC impact research were defined: Agriculture, Environment, Human and Multi-disciplinary study. A total of 701 articles were found to be relevant and the review shows that CC impacts and adaptations in the literature vary across research categories and locations.
The period between 2011 (68 studies) and 2015 (80 studies) showed a tremendous rise in CC impact research with a peak in 2014 (84 studies). Studies in the agriculture category had the highest publications in 23 States of Nigeria. The review revealed three research gaps: (1) lack of research that investigated the magnitude of present and potential future impacts in the aquatic environment (2) little attention on CC impacts and adaptation in the Northern regions of Nigeria (3) absence of study investigating the effects of multiple variables of CC at the same time.
The findings suggest that it would be useful to advance CC research in Nigeria beyond perceptive approaches to more quantitative ones.
The impacts of climate change (CC) have been experienced globally, especially in the tropics. These have triggered a wide variety of physical and biological changes across the world with negative effects on agriculture, humans, and the environment. It is important to note that while the vulnerability to CC impacts is higher in lower-middle- and low-income countries, particularly Africa, the readiness to improve resilience ranks very low in such countries.
A recent report, for example, shows that Nigeria is one of the top ten of the most exposed countries to the effects of CC, with about 6% of its land area estimated to be exposed to extreme weather events. Several incidences of environmental change in Nigeria include drought, flood, irregular rainfall pattern, deforestation, desert encroachment, and housing problems.
In the Southern areas of Nigeria (predominantly known for high rainfall), vegetation is currently grappling with fluctuations in the sequence of rainfall. In the savanna vegetation zone, severe heat waves are seriously confronting the area. Similarly in the Sahel region, there is a risk of losing about 30 ha of cropland per year to desertification.
In the same vein, it is evident that Nigeria's water and wetland supplies have been impacted by climate fluctuations. Many large water bodies are experiencing marked reductions in flow rate and network length in reaction to decreased rainfall and higher evapotranspiration.
Crop production occupies approximately 94% of Nigeria's agricultural sector. CC impact is significant in this category as some regions of the country already suffer about a 20% decline in the cycle of growing days. Moreover, many forest resources are also gradually going extinct due to CC impacts.
By 2050, crop harvests in Africa will be as low as 50% due to CC impacts. Consequently, increased risk of low output, crop loss, and death of livestock are also expected. In animal production, the soaring temperature has affected productivity, especially poultry, swine, cattle sheep, and goats.
Apart from agriculture and environmental impacts, CC constitutes a threat to humans with diverse negative social and health impacts. In coastal areas of the world, sea-level rise at 2m could result in ‘forced displacement’ of about 187 million people by 2100, and up to 430 million at 6m rise. In Africa, about 75 to 50 million individuals will be prone to increased effects caused by weather extremes by 2022.
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