Petlong Dakhling: Why You Should Care About Climate Change as a Nigerian

In Nigeria, many people do not pay attention to sustainability. It’s not because we are bad people, but because many don’t understand how it impacts us. For the average young Nigerian, the future of the planet seems like a conversation for foreigners—something distant and not a concern for us. However, that mindset is dangerous; it is costing us more than we realise.

Climate change is not a distant problem; it’s already here. Sustainability isn’t just about recycling or using paper straws; it’s about making sure there’s still something left for the next generation.

Let’s consider these: Why is Abuja getting hotter every year?
Why do we now have floods in places like Maiduguri, Makurdi, Ibadan, and Lagos that wipe out homes, farms, and lives?
Why are farmers in the North abandoning their land because the soil is too dry?
Why are food prices climbing faster than minimum wage?


This is climate change. And it’s already in our backyards. Many people do not realise that what they are experiencing is part of a larger issue. They simply refer to it as weather. However, it is not just that.

Why Should We Care?

We should care and start acting because this is our future. It’s not just about saving the planet or Earth, like they say in documentaries. The earth will be fine, it’s we, the living beings, that may not be. Will we still be able to live, eat, and breathe comfortably in it or just struggle to survive every day?

If we do not take action now, food prices will continue to rise due to unpredictable weather, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to produce enough crops. Heatwaves are likely to become more severe, causing many people to suffer in extreme heat without reliable access to electricity or clean water. Additionally, diseases such as malaria and cholera will spread more quickly, particularly in overcrowded or flooded areas with inadequate drainage. Millions may lose their homes as floods, erosion, and droughts persist in destroying communities across Nigeria.

But guess who’ll suffer the most? Poor communities.

We’ve been led to believe that sustainability is only for the wealthy—those who drive Teslas, purchase organic food, or install solar panels on their mansions. However, true sustainability starts with us. It’s not something foreign, nor is it a luxury.

It’s about how we manage waste in our communities, how we treat the land that produces our food, how we conserve water when it’s in short supply, and how we prepare for floods, droughts, and heatwaves that disproportionately affect the poorest among us.

Many Nigerians don’t consider sustainability, but we can’t afford that mindset any longer. This is our reality now. Our air. Our food. Our water. Our health. Our future. The question is: will we open our eyes and take action, or will we continue to ignore the fact that this is our fight?

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Featured Image by Rangoni Gianluca for Pexels