LAGOS TURNS SPOTLIGHT ON EXTREME HEAT AS EXPERTS UNVEIL THREE-YEAR PROJECT TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH
By Aishat Momoh
For years, climate conversations in Nigeria have largely revolved around flooding, coastal erosion and rising sea levels. But experts say another climate threat has been quietly intensifying across Lagos one that millions experience daily without recognising its potentially devastating consequences.
Concerned by its growing impact on public health, mobility and economic productivity, climate scientists, health experts, urban planners and government stakeholders have launched the Active Lives in Hot Spots (Hotsteppers) Project, a three-year research and intervention programme aimed at understanding and reducing heat-related risks across Lagos State.
The initiative, funded by the Wellcome Trust, was unveiled during a three-day Climate and Health Media Workshop, where journalists from across Nigeria were trained to improve reporting on the intersection between climate change and public health.
Speaking at the workshop, Communications Lead of the Hotsteppers Project, Abimbola Badejo, said while floods often dominate climate discussions because of their visible destruction, heat remains a silent emergency whose effects are less obvious but equally dangerous.
According to her, many Lagos residents simply describe the weather as unusually hot without realising that prolonged exposure to high temperatures can increase the risk of dehydration, cardiovascular diseases, heat exhaustion, kidney complications and reduced physical activity.
"People often say, 'It's hot today,' without understanding that extreme heat is a public health issue," Badejo said. "One of the goals of this project is to help people recognise those risks while encouraging stronger policy responses."
She noted that outdoor traders, commercial transport operators, pedestrians, street vendors and commuters who spend long hours under the sun are among those most vulnerable to heat stress.
Unlike previous studies that focused mainly on documenting climate trends, the Hotsteppers Project combines scientific research with practical interventions intended to improve urban living.
The project brings together researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Lagos Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, UrbanBetter, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Lagos Urban Development Initiative (LUDI) and other partners.
Researchers explained that sophisticated technologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite imagery, remote sensing and thermal mapping, are being used to identify the hottest parts of Lagos and determine how urban development influences rising temperatures.
Their analysis relies on internationally recognised indicators such as Land Surface Temperature (LST), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Building Index (NDBI) and the Building Heat Index (BHI).
Early assessments have identified major transport corridors around Ojota, Oshodi and Yaba as some of the city's hottest locations because of extensive concrete surfaces, asphalt roads and limited tree cover.
To strengthen the findings, temperature-monitoring devices have also been installed in communities including Fadeyi and Yaba, generating continuous environmental data that will support future planning and climate adaptation efforts.
Researchers noted that neighbourhoods with more trees and vegetation consistently record lower temperatures than heavily built-up urban centres, highlighting the importance of green infrastructure in reducing heat exposure.
Project officials stressed that Hotsteppers is designed to deliver measurable action rather than produce research reports alone.
Over the next three years, the initiative will investigate how rising temperatures affect people's health, mobility and livelihoods while testing practical interventions such as tree planting, shaded public spaces and cooling centres in identified heat hotspots.
The project will also monitor more than 200 active commuters, including traders, pedestrians and transport users, to understand how extreme temperatures influence travel behaviour, productivity and physical activity.
According to the researchers, the evidence generated will help shape Lagos State's climate adaptation policies and provide practical solutions that can be replicated in other Nigerian cities facing similar urban heat challenges.
Principal Investigator of the project, Professor Tolullah Oni of the University of Cambridge, said the research would generate data needed to understand how rising temperatures affect public health while supporting evidence-based policymaking.
She explained that findings from the project would assist transport planning and contribute to the implementation of Lagos State's Health and Climate Plan.
Co-Principal Investigator, Professor Peter Elias of the University of Lagos, observed that while flooding and air pollution have received significant policy attention, the health implications of extreme heat remain insufficiently understood.
He expressed confidence that the research would strengthen knowledge of the economic and health consequences associated with rising urban temperatures.
Also speaking, environmental health expert Barbara Rubiell warned that many heat-related illnesses are often overlooked because their symptoms develop gradually, making them less visible than other climate-related emergencies.
She called for increased public awareness to help people understand the connection between prolonged heat exposure and chronic health conditions.
The Lagos State Government also welcomed the initiative.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi, urged researchers to align the project's activities with existing government programmes to maximise long-term impact.
Similarly, LAMATA's Technical Adviser on Policy, Research and Development, Obafemi Shitta-Bay, said the agency continues to review its transport master plan while expanding environmentally sustainable transport systems, including electric buses.
A major highlight of the workshop was the emphasis on Solutions Journalism, with facilitators encouraging journalists to go beyond reporting climate disasters by examining how interventions are addressing identified challenges.
Participants were urged to investigate whether government policies, community initiatives and scientific interventions produce measurable results while holding institutions accountable for implementation.
Rather than simply highlighting environmental problems, journalists were encouraged to report evidence-based responses that help audiences understand both the challenges and the effectiveness of proposed solutions.
To ensure sustained engagement beyond the workshop, Project Lead Olamide Udoma-Ejorh announced the establishment of the Hotsteppers Media Network.
The network will provide journalists with regular access to research findings, climate experts, training opportunities, thermal maps, datasets and multimedia resources throughout the lifespan of the project.
Quarterly field reporting exercises, known as Story Sprints, will also allow participating journalists to cover research activities across 15 local government areas in Lagos while working directly with scientists and urban planners.
According to Udoma-Ejorh, the initiative is expected to strengthen climate and health reporting in Nigeria by giving journalists continued access to credible scientific evidence and expert sources.
As temperatures continue to rise across Lagos, stakeholders believe tackling extreme heat will require coordinated action involving government, researchers, communities and the media.
For the partners behind the Hotsteppers Project, the objective is clear: generate evidence, promote informed reporting, influence public policy and create healthier, more resilient cities capable of withstanding one of climate change's fastest-growing yet least recognised threats
0 Comments