Heatwave Alert: What Nigerians Must Do To Survive Extreme Temperatures – Ex-NMA Chair

As Nigeria faces warnings of potentially extreme heat between now and February 2027, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Kaduna State, Dr Sheyin David Madaki, has advised Nigerians to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, drink water regularly and recognise early signs of dehydration to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths.

Madaki in an interview with LEADERSHIP on Wednesday, warned that although Nigerians were accustomed to hot weather, the predicted heatwave could bring more intense temperatures, increasing the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, particularly among children and elderly people.

He urged Nigerians to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities during periods of intense heat, reduce strenuous physical exertion under the sun and seek shade or cooler environments whenever possible.

“Let us not wait until we are thirsty before we drink water.

“By the time you start feeling thirsty, it means some form of dehydration is already going on,” he said.

The medical expert advised people to keep drinking water throughout the day and carry drinking water whenever they leave home.

The former NMA chairman identified excessive sweating, headaches, dizziness, confusion and nausea as possible warning signs of dehydration and heat-related illness, cautioning Nigerians against automatically dismissing such symptoms as malaria or typhoid.

“People experiencing these symptoms must move fast to a cooler environment, take water if they were fully conscious and able to swallow safely, and seek medical attention if their condition persisted or worsened.

“Failure to recognise and address dehydration early could lead to heatstroke, a potentially fatal medical emergency that occurs when the body loses its ability to regulate its temperature effectively.

“Heatstroke requires urgent medical intervention, including measures to cool the body and other appropriate treatment, warning that people should not attempt to manage severe symptoms at home,” he said.

He also urged families to pay special attention to children and older people, ensuring they had access to drinking water and cooler surroundings and were not left in excessively hot or poorly ventilated spaces.

The medical expert said extreme heat could also create favourable conditions for certain infections, including meningitis, to spread, stressing the need for individuals and health authorities to remain vigilant during periods of unusually high temperatures.

He, however, cautioned against panic, explaining that the forecast did not mean an epidemic was inevitable and that the risk of heat-related deaths could be reduced through preventive measures, early recognition of symptoms and timely medical intervention.

The warning comes amid projections by the Climate Impact Lab that Nigeria could record 31,400 additional heat-related deaths between September 2026 and February 2027 compared with a normal year, as an unusually strong El Niño weather pattern intensifies.