Residents of Kwara state, particularly that of Ilorin metropolis, the state capital, are currently groaning under excess heat as a result of Climate Change occasioned by the late rainfall for the year in parts of the state.
The people, who said that heat had caused discomfort and health risks among them, said that the situation was not helped by irregular power supply by the power distribution company, which they said made people sweat all night.
One of the people interviewed, a farmer, Moses Ojo, said that the development may affect agricultural cultivation and food production for the year.
“Despite taking bath before sleeping every night, I found my self sweating profusely at night.”he said.
Another resident along Asa Dam who simply identified herself as Bunmi lamented acute shortage of water as a result of poor power supply, adding that she has been unable to sleep lately because of the excessive heat, until after she had bath four times in the evening .
“I don’t even enjoy the sleep because I sweat all night as a result of my rechargeable fan which also breeze heat inside the room.” she said.
According to reports by Vanguard, most times, many residents in ilorin are awake all night as a result of sparing two Hours IBEDC supply light on rotational basis in the metropolis, even as those with rechargeable fan are not exempted as the batteries are often depleted mostly few hours into midnight.
Speaking at a Climate Journalism Workshop organized by a private radio station in Ilorin, Sobi FM Chapel of the NUJ in conjunction with an NGO, the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, on Thursday Dr Saudat Salah Abdulbaki speaking on the Role of the Media in Climate Awareness said journalists have fundamental roles to play in making the public to know the cause, effect,and solution to Climate Change .
Dr. Abdulbaqi said that Climate Change has impact on aquatic and human lives, adding that food security is being affected in high cost of scarce proteins like fish, cattle due to poor yield.
She also said that forest and trees had disappeared because the space had been used for habitation to build houses.
Another expert in Climate Change, Mr. Rasheed Yusuf,said that the current heat among others is caused by the trees that had been cut over the years without replacing them .
Ozone layer is opened due to failure to plant trees and we usually cut our trees without replanting. This would cause climate change, invariably”, Yusuf said.
The Climate Change expert also talked about industrial pollution causing harm to humans as well as bush burning destroying the environment and climate.
They lamented that Nigerians lack culture of tree planting, advising people to plant and replant trees to prevent environment.
