Director-General, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, has called for bold and coordinated actions to tackle displacement of people within their own countries.
Amy Pope
Pope said in a statement on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, that the number of internally-displaced people would continue to increase rapidly if such actions would not be taken.
Pope reacted to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 (GRID) released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
According to the report, a record 83.4 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of 2024 and disaster continues to drive much of the displacements.
The GRID is a crucial tool to shape policies, support evidence-based responses and inform durable solutions for millions of people living in internal displacements worldwide.
Key data for this report is provided by IOM through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) which is the world’s largest source of primary data on internal displacement.
In 2024 alone, 20.1 million new conflict-related internal displacements were recorded, with 9.1 million coming from only two countries, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the report showed.
Pope said that the figures were a clear warning.
“The report is a call for preventive action, to use data and other tools to anticipate displacement before it happens.
“It also calls for the humanitarian and development sectors to work together with governments to develop longer-term solutions to prevent displacement,” she said.
According to the report, internal displacement of 83.4 million people by the end of 2024 shows an increase of 7.5 million from the 2023 figure of 75.9 million people, which was also a record.
The report showed that disasters remained a major driver of internal displacements in 2024, with a record 45.8 million new disaster displacements, nearly double the annual average of the past decade.
“A total of 29 countries and territories reported their highest disaster displacement figures on record, with cyclones accounting for 54 per cent of all disaster displacements last year.
“As the frequency, duration and intensity of weather-related events continue to worsen, these figures are expected to continue to rise,” the report said.
It also showed that the U.S accounted for more than 11 million movements after several major hurricanes prompted mass evacuations.
“Maintaining a strong evidence-based reporting on the world’s most salient displacement situations and identifying which interventions have been most impactful will be our objective in 2025 and beyond,” IDMC had stated in the report.
The Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, urged residents to take ownership of government’s facilities to ensure sustainability.
Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State
Its State Programme’ Manager, Mohammed Auwal, disclosed this during an advocacy visit to the Chairmen of Chikun and Igabi Local Govrnment Areas in the state.
He said that the residents should take ownership of such projects by getting involved from their planning to construction and having behavioural change towards government’s facilities.
According to Auwal, the residents often abandon such facilities for the government to make repairs when they are faulty.
“We are here to advocate to you to take the lead in sensitising the residents tp importance of taking ownership and protection of government’s projects in your communities.
”Little things get spoilt and the communities will abandon them expecting the government to come back and fix them.
“Your voices matter, let everyone understand that these boreholes are theirs
“These toilets are for them, if they don’t take care of them, no one will, own, protect and sustain them,” he said.
Auwal said SURWASH’s mandate in the state wad focusing on improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in both the rural and urban areas.
He added, “This is achieved through the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, which Kaduna is one of the seven participating states.
“The programme aims to meet the SDG 6 target of providing water and sanitation by 2030, with a specific focus on increasing access in rural areas.
“Treat all SURWASH’s infrastructures as community properties,not government properties.form or strengthen your Wash communities.
“Make sure women, youths, elders and the vulnerable have a voice, support the communities’ leadership to make WASH-related decisions that benefit all.”
Auwal further urged the residents to imbibe the habit of protecting facilities in thier communities.
He continued: “Don’t let a few to spoil them for everyone. Guard these facilities from vandalism, misuse and neglect.
“Stop harmful practices like open defecation, dumping refuse near water points or using toilets as storage rooms or shops, support local bylaws and watch groups to monitor and protect WASH facilities.”
“If you see something, say something. report broken taps, stolen items or wrong use to the WASHCOMM or implementing agencies.
According to him, SURWASH was not just a government programme but a programme for all.
Auwal said, “The water points, toilets and hygiene facilities in the communities were built with the residents in mind but their success depends on the residents.
“These facilities must serve us today and tomorrow, that’s why maintenance is everyday’s job .”
In their responses, the Chairman of Chikun LGA, Salasi Nuhu-Musa, expressed his commitment to tackling issues of vandalism and misuse of boreholes.
He also said that more awareness would be taken to the grassroots on the importance of taking ownership of the projects.
The chairman also vowed to ensure that in the next one year, all boreholes in the LGA were fully functional.
Sani Abdul of Igabi LGA said even though his local government was the largest in the state, they would immediately form a committee to ensure that the awareness campaign commenced.
He also promised that the residents would imbibe maintenance culture.
The United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) has urged students from higher institutions and secondary schools to find plausible solutions to the impact of climate change in Katsina.
Mrs. Stella Terver, the WASH Programme Officer, UNICEF Kano Field Office, speaking at the sensitisation workshop
Mrs. Stella Terver, the WASH Programme Officer, UNICEF Kano Field Office, said this in Katsina at a two-day sensitisation workshop organised for the students on green rising initiative.
The event was in collaboration with the Ideas and Data Global Academy, through the state Ministry of Environment.
According to Terver, this activity is all about alternative projects under the green rising initiative; adding, “Because what we’re doing under climate change is green rising and genuine.
“It’s all about engaging the youths, the community and the students to make sure that they have the understanding of what climate change is.
“They should also understand how it impacts on their lives, the environment, and what action they can take to either adapt or mitigate against future occurrence.”
According to her, the activity also aimed to make the students understand how they can build their capacity around climate related entrepreneurship.
Terver explained that the outreach was about reaching out to the students to sensitise them, build their capacity on climate issues and how they can address them in their society.
She stated, “At least they will be able to address the issues within their context, villages, or environment.
“It may be through planting of trees, or plastic waste management, there are a whole lot.
“At each secondary school, we are targeting 200 students, and we are looking at 10 schools in each Local Government Area (LGA).
“We have Bakori, Batagarawa, Bindawa, Baure, Charanchi, Danja, Daura, Dutsinma, Dutsi, Funtua, Ingawa, Kafur, Kaita, Kankia, Kurfi, Kusada, and Mai’adua LGAs,’’ she said.
Terver said UNICEF would support the establishment of climate action clubs in secondary schools that would be able to nurture the trees and be able to sensitise other students.
She said that for each of the universities and other higher learning institutions, UNICEF was looking at 200 students that would be trained to sensitise others.
“These students will move down and sensitise other people on green rising and then get them registered.
“We’re looking at each student being able to mobilise 250 students.
“We are targeting sustainability to make sure that at the end of the day, these trees that are planted, will grow and be able to produce edible fruits.
“Because in schools, we’re advocating for planting edible fruits, which will also add to the nutrition of the students or the pupils in that school.
“It might not be an immediate thing, because we know when you plant it takes time to nurture it to survive and then to begin to produce edible fruits,” Terver said.
According to the WASH officer, they are looking at making sure that the environment is climate-friendly for the students, adding,”so that there will be no littering of plastics, and other types of wastes.”
Malam Mustapha Shehu, the representative of the Ideas and Data Global Academy, said that the exercise would enable the students to be able to register on “Yoma”.
According to him, Yoma is a platform of trusted partners, bringing freshest opportunities to keep the students’ skills sharp and stay in the loop with what is happening in the working world.
He said it was an app that the youths were being assigned to develop their capacities on climate change and be able to have some innovative ideas.
Shehu said they could be supported to assess a climate fund in order to expand.
Also, Malam Nura Abubakar, the Director, Waste Management and Environmental Assessment, State Ministry of Environment, said the government would do everything possible to ensure the success of the project.
He called on the public to desist from the indiscriminate disposal of wastes so as to avoid flooding and other devastating environmental hazards.
Conservator of Park (CP), Old Oyo National Park, Mr. Tesleem Kareem, has said the park, though grappling with sustainability challenges, remained one of Nigeria’s most valuable ecological and cultural treasures.
Old Oyo National Park
Kareem on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Ibadan underscored the management’s commitment to ensure its profitability to all stakeholders.
While identifying the challenges, the CP also revealed some of the steps already taken and the ones being considered to mitigate the situation.
The park, home to a rich variety of wildlife and steeped in cultural and historical significance, spans 2,512 square kilometres of open plains in Oyo town.
Located in the South-West zone of Nigeria, the park spreads across 10 Local Government Areas in Oyo State and one in Kwara.
Its breathtaking landscapes and wealth of natural resources underscore the need for adequate funding and consistent maintenance.
The conservator says beyond its ecological value, Old Oyo National Park serves as a source of revenue for the Federal Government (FG) through tourism and research-related activities.
“It attracts visitors eager to explore its scenic beauty, study its biodiversity, and connect with the remnants of the ancient Oyo Empire that once thrived in the history of the Yoruba people,” he said.
NAN, however, reports that despite its immense potential, the park continues to battle with issues such as underfunding, poor infrastructure, security and limited public awareness.
According to Kareem, with strategic investment and renewed focus, Old Oyo National Park can become a major driver of sustainable tourism and national heritage conservation.
“The number of visitors to the park has dropped from 98 per cent to about 50 per cent, reducing revenue from 90 per cent to about 60 per cent.
“Although the park is still generating income in millions of naira, it cannot be compared with when security and the economy were better.
“In the past, when the country was okay, we generated a lot of revenue.
“If the country is secure, national and international tourists will return to the park,” he said.
The CP says the park protects biodiversity, fauna and flora, water and mountains, and uniquely promotes archaeological and historical sites.
“It preserves the cradle of the Yoruba race called Oyo Ile, where the Yoruba race started in the 17th and 18th centuries.
“Oranmiyan, as the king established the then Oyo empire,” he said.
According to the conservator, the park also encourages and provides education on wildlife and nature conservation.
“It promotes grounds for research fellows and students to, at least, experience or gain knowledge about what they are being taught.
“It serves as an outside laboratory to most wildlife institutions,” Kareem said.
Despite the park’s positive services, Kareem identified poaching, wildlife hunting, illegal logging and mining as some of its challenges.
“Wherever you have illegal mining, it attracts banditry and kidnapping,” he said.
Kareem, however, reiterated that the park managers would not relent in their mandate of protecting, managing and conserving resources for the present and future generations.
He said the park is collaborating with the military and other security agencies to curtail the security challenge, thereby attracting more tourists, was paying off.
“We mostly organise joint patrols to control the park,” he said.
In addition, he said the park had engaged digital and modern technology to monitor games, intruders and confront illegal activities destroying aquatic life, plants, animals and natural resources.
“We use drones, cyber trackers, sign cameras, camera traps, GPS, map reading and even helicopters for surveillance.
“These modern gadgets help to record the kinds of games that walk around and check intruders’ activities and hideouts,” he said.
However, he identified the lack of a constant power supply as a hindrance to effective and maximised technological means of securing and administering the park.
According to him, the park relies on an alternate power source, such as solar panels, to discharge its operations.
The conservator reminded the public that the Act establishing the park had empowered its officials to bear firearms.
“As a paramilitary body, we have the power to arrest and prosecute intruders who cause harm to the park,” he said.
To this end, Kareem said that about 200 offenders had been jailed since the park’s establishment in 1991, while many others enjoyed the privilege of the option of a fine.
The conservator, however, said there was no option of a fine for anyone caught by park rangers hunting or killing endangered animals such as elephants, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, lions, eagles and monkeys.
“If you kill any of these animals within the park or areas very close to the park and you are caught, there will be no option for a fine; you will be jailed,” he said.
Yet, he said not all cases ended up in courts, as some were rather handled through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) involving the supporting communities.
Kareem said the park management would, therefore, continue to work with community leaders and other societal influencers to sensitise the public on the need to protect and patronise the park.
“We need to make the public understand the rich culture of Nigeria as we work with about 115 supporting communities where the park is located,” he said.
He also called for the partnership of individuals, private institutions and non-governmental organisations with the park to establish its overall benefits to humanity.
“Outside the fact that we are promoting, protecting, conserving, and preserving biodiversity, we are still promoting the culture of the people.
“So, we are appealing to all stakeholders, as this park, with its natural resources, is a capital-intensive organisation,” he said.
Oando Plc, the indigenous firm that acquired Nigeria Agip Oil Company, says it has recorded four operational oil spills from October 2024 to date.
Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC, Wale Tinubu
The oil firm disclosed this in a statement made available by Oando’s Spokesperson, Mrs. Alero Balogun, General Manager, Human Resources & Business Support, Oando Group, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
The company also confirmed the conclusion of repairs works on pipelines that caused the oil spill incidents along the NNPC Exploration and Production Ltd/Oando pipeline in Bayelsa State.
The statement is sequel to a May 3 oil spill incident reported around Oando’s Ogboinbiri flow station in Southern Ijaw LGA swamps which feeds crude to the oil firm’s export terminal at Brass in Bayelsa.
Balogun said the company had concluded repairs works on the ruptured pipelines as well as ongoing replacement sections of the pipeline that were dilapidated.
“Oando Plc announces the successful completion of repairs to its pipeline following oil spill incidents along the NEPL/Oando pipeline, which affected the Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
“Between October 2024 to date, four operational spills occurred. Upon identification of each incident, we swiftly activated emergency response protocols in line with company policy, including the immediate shut-in of the affected wells and cessation of crude oil delivery through the pipeline.
“Simultaneously, we deployed containment materials to prevent further spread of the oil and promptly initiated recovery efforts.
“In accordance with regulatory requirements Joint Investigation Visits were conducted with all relevant stakeholders, including representatives from Government regulatory agencies and the Ogboinbiri community.
“We are pleased to report that the repairs of the affected sections of the pipeline have been completed. To further mitigate the risk of future incidents, we are implementing a sectional replacement of the pipeline.
“Oando remains fully committed to its host communities and is working diligently to ensure that its operations support the long-term environmental sustainability of the region,” Balogun said.
Kano State Government has intensified efforts to curb illegal silica sand excavation activities near water sources in a bid to safeguard the state’s potable water infrastructure.
Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State
The Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Alhaji Hamza Kachako, made this known during an inspection tour of the excavation sites on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Kano, the state capital.
The excavation sites are along the banks of River Chalawa in Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Government Area, and Azoren Waje in Kura Local Government Area.
Kachako was accompanied on the inspection by top officials from the ministry.
He said the inspection followed complaints from the Kano State Water Board over the adverse impact of sand mining near mechanised boreholes supplying the Chalawa Water Treatment Plant.
The commissioner warned vendors to desist from excavating sand close to water installations, stressing that such activities would no longer be tolerated by the state government.
Kachako recalled a recent inspection of the River Wudil bank where he initiated dialogue with sand vendors, to resolve issues amicably and encourage responsible excavation practices.
“The intensified inspections are in response to complaints from the Kano State Water Board, which had raised alarm over the negative impact of sand vending on water supply projects,” he said.
Kachako reaffirmed the government’s readiness to engage stakeholders, including vendors, in constructive dialogue aimed at safeguarding both economic livelihoods and public interest.
Speaking, the Director of the water treatment plant, Alhaji Uba Shareef, said the activities of sand vendors were disrupting borehole operations, thereby threatening the consistent supply of clean drinking water to surrounding communities.
Artisanal lead mining in Nigeria is responsible for airborne lead exposures that are 10 times the U.S. Permissible Exposure Limit, according to a study published on Monday, May 12, 2025. It is believed to be the first study to report on airborne lead levels from self-employed artisanal lead miners as a source of community exposures.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Photo credit: thewillnigeria.com
The study also found that airborne lead exposures from gold ore processing in Northern Nigeria is associated with exposures that are more than 30 times greater than allowable exposure limits. The artisanal gold ore processing that was monitored utilised a variety of manual and machine grinding methods to process and extract the gold.
Lead is mined for use in many products but primarily goes into manufacturing lead batteries. The market for lead batteries continues to grow despite growing competition for lithium-ion batteries and other more expensive battery chemistries.
“We found that lead exposures among underground lead miners are as much as 22 times the occupational lead air standard,” said Manti Michael Nota, Lecturer at Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the lead author of the study. He added that “these exposures are contributing to the high rates of childhood lead poisoning we have seen in these communities.”
Lead battery storage is considered essential to promote “clean” energy from solar and wind in most countries and particularly in rural areas that remain unconnected to the electricity grid. In addition to the hazardous exposures seen in mining lead the manufacturing and recycling of these batteries are a well-documented source of occupational and childhood lead poisoning.
“These finds suggest that informal lead mining is one of the most hazardous forms of mining that gets little attention despite the growing presence of self-employed lead mining operations around the world,” said Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International (OK International) whose organisation partnered with Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in this effort.
Most of the lead ore mined in Nigeria is exported to China for processing. Exports grew by more than 360% over the decade from 2013 to 2022.
Informal lead mining is a growing activity in many countries around the world. Ongoing lead mining in Kabwe Zambia has been linked to extensive poisoning and widespread environmental contamination. A recent report from Southern Myanmar that documents the rapid increase in lead mining to supply ore to China has been ongoing since the coup in February 2021.
Gottesfeld noted: “The study makes clear that mining can be associated with extremely high exposures to a range of metals present in the ore that can contaminate homes and poison communities.”
Lead causes severe neurological deficits and death among children in these communities, but even at low exposure levels is responsible for an estimated 5 million deaths each year primarily due to cardiovascular disease. Investments in safer mining to reduce lead exposures would have a significant return on investment compared to the costs of treating severe lead poisoning in these communities, according to OK International.
The Nigerian government has attempted to impose a ban on mining in Zamfara State, but these efforts have largely been unsuccessful as ongoing lead poisoning cases are reported in mining communities.
There are an estimated 40 million informal small-scale miners working in at least 70 countries around the world. In addition to artisanal gold mining, informal lead mining accounts for an increasing share of the global lead supply.
The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project is currently hosting a high-level retreat to review project implementation progress, enhance stakeholders understanding, and set new milestones for speedy implementation.
Participants at the opening of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) retreat in Lagos on Monday, May 12, 2025
The retreat, themed “Strengthening Coordination and Advancing Effective ACReSAL Implementation”, commenced in Lagos on Monday, May 12, and it is expected to end on Friday, May 17, 2025.
In his welcome address, Abdulhamid Umar, the National Project Coordinator (NPC), ACReSAL, said: “The retreat will bring together esteemed stakeholders, including Ministers of Environment, Agriculture and Food Security, and Water Resources and Sanitation, the Leader World Bank Task Team, National Project Coordinator, Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries of state Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Water Resources.”
The NPC of ACReSAL revealed that stakeholders attending the retreat were drafted from the 19 Northern States and FCT (which makes up the coverage area), State Project Coordinators, Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), the 20 states and FCT coordinators and the ACReSAL team.
“The ACReSAL Project s expected to be implemented between 2022 and 2028 with implementing Ministries such as Federal and States Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Food Security, as well as Water Resources and Sanitation,” he stressed.
In her remarks, Dr. Joy Iganya Agene, Task Team Leader of ACReSAL Project, stated that the retreat was organised to review project performance in the 19 participating states and FCT as well as set new milestones for speedy implementation of the project across all participating states.
Agene, who also doubled as a Senior Environmental Specialist with the World Bank, disclosed: “Apart from identifying and addressing potential gaps and bottlenecks, the retreat will also enhance stakeholders understanding of project operations for participating states.”
The Task Team Leader listed some of the key deliverables of the retreat to include coordinating platforms for project sustainability, such as policy development and validation of strategic catchment management plans.
“We decided to have a session on policy work. At this point, we need to start looking back at what we have done. Have we done it very well? What we need to do and how we need to do them going forward. So, you will be listening to a lot of presentations also from the MDAs, the federal government and others.
“Prior to the session with the ministers, we agreed that a Terms of Reference (TOR) will be provided for all stakeholders.”
According to her, the TOR that will be helpful in the policy work, and it is a draft, will be shared with everyone before leaving the office.
“So, what we are going to do is to give you a generic TOR that will help guide the process, but the process has to be state-specific” she charged the stakeholders.
“At the end of the session, key takeaways from the retreat will be to enhance stakeholders capacity to implement project activities, improve understanding of project operations and institutional arrangements and identification of solutions to potential challenges,” Agene opined.
The ACReSAL Project, initiated on November 19, 2021, aims to address critical challenges in Northern Nigeria, including poverty, low literacy, environmental degradation, and poor agricultural productivity.
The project’s development objective is to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in Northern Nigeria and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management.
The ACReSAL Project is supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria and fully funded by the World Bank.
The Federal Government has begun moves to initiate sweeping reforms aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s electricity distribution sector, starting with a pilot overhaul of two underperforming Distribution Companies (DisCos).
Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu
The move follows a comprehensive assessment of systemic challenges plaguing the DisCos, including governance gaps, infrastructure deficits, and commercial inefficiencies.
Power Minister, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed the plan after a meeting with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which presented a roadmap titled: “Revamping of the Distribution Sector in Nigeria”.
The pilot scheme, slated to commence between May and August 2025, will target one DisCo in the North and another in the South. It aims to demonstrate a replicable model for operational turnaround, combining internal restructuring, external expertise, and federal oversight to achieve rapid improvements in service delivery.
JICA’s proposal emphasises reforming DisCos “from within” by integrating outside experts, strengthening leadership, and aligning government support with short-term results in pilot zones to lay the groundwork for long-term sector-wide transformation.
Adelabu stressed the urgency of the intervention, stating: “We can no longer fold our hands and watch the inadequacies of DisCos whose performances fall short of expectations. This pilot is not optional – we will use regulatory authority to restructure underperforming DisCos and compel compliance if necessary.”
He acknowledged persistent resistance to past reforms but vowed to address both universal challenges – such as vandalism and governance – and region-specific issues, including cultural barriers hindering operations.
Key to the initiative is resolving the DisCos’ inability to invest in infrastructure upgrades, he said.
“Their lack of investment is not solely due to unwillingness but also a lack of incentives. Returns on infrastructure spending are not commensurate, so we must attract investors and franchise viable and the not so viable areas to capable operators, so we can have a mix,” Adelabu explained.
He directed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to enforce franchising opportunities and ensure DisCos’ cooperation, noting: “NERC must secure their buy-in. Past efforts failed due to resistance, but this time, we will be intentional and decisive.”
The Minister also highlighted the need for public education to clarify the roles of generation, transmission, and distribution entities.
“Many Nigerians still view the sector as a single entity. Educating consumers is critical to building trust and support for these reforms,” he added.
JICA’s proposal, developed after the Minister’s earlier visit to Japan’s energy market, underscores a “holistic approach” to revamping distribution, including proactive government-JICA collaboration and measurable milestones.
Takeshi Kikukawa, JICA’s Power Sector Policy Advisor to Nigeria, noted during the presentation: “The goal is to deliver immediate results in pilot areas while creating a sustainable foundation for nationwide improvement.”
The Federal Ministry of Power and NERC will finalise pilot details in the coming months, prioritising DisCos with acute operational deficits. The initiative marks the most robust effort to date to resolve power distribution crisis, signalling a renewed push for accountability, investor confidence, and reliable electricity access.
The UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that extreme weather and climate change are severely affecting all aspects of socio-economic development across Africa, deepening hunger, insecurity, and displacement.
WMO Secretary-General, Prof. Celeste Saulo
In a statement released on Monday, May 12, 2025, the WMO said that devastating floods in South Sudan in recent months had left thousands of herders without their livestock, goats, cows, and cattle.
It described the animals as central to the herders’ livelihoods and cultural traditions.
These losses, the agency said, reflected how climate change was eroding the social and economic fabric of African communities.
The WMO also highlighted record sea surface temperatures, especially in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, noting that nearly all ocean areas around Africa were affected by marine heatwaves of strong to extreme intensity in 2023.
WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, described climate change as an urgent and escalating crisis for the continent.
“Some countries are grappling with exceptional flooding due to excessive rainfall, while others endure persistent droughts and growing water scarcity,” Saulo said.
Floods, heatwaves, and droughts displaced around 700,000 people across Africa in 2023 alone, WMO reported.
In northern Nigeria, for instance, 230 people died and 600,000 were displaced in September following massive floods in Maiduguri. West Africa also experienced severe flooding, affecting more than four million people.
Meanwhile, southern African countries like Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe suffered the worst droughts in decades, slashing cereal harvests by up to 50 per cent compared to five-year averages.
WMO added that El Niño conditions from 2023 into early 2024 played a significant role in rainfall patterns across Africa, worsening already dire conditions in many regions.
Heatwaves are also emerging as a major public health and development threat. South Sudan was forced to close schools in March 2024 when temperatures soared to 45°C.
Globally, at least 242 million students missed school due to extreme weather events this year, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNICEF.
Rising temperatures continue to exacerbate water scarcity and food insecurity, especially in North Africa.
Erratic weather has disrupted agriculture and driven more displacement, particularly in conflict-affected regions.
In South Sudan, for example, last October’s floods affected 300,000 people and wiped out between 30 to 34 million livestock. Stagnant water spread disease and left once self-sufficient families in need of humanitarian aid.
“When someone slides back into being fed, it affects their dignity,” said Meshack Malo, South Sudan Country Representative for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
He emphasised that South Sudan is in a constant cycle of flooding and drought, with climate-related disasters now affecting the country for most of the year.
Infrastructure challenges have also worsened the crisis. With roads impassable, UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) are forced to rely on expensive airlifts to deliver aid, an unsustainable approach amid shrinking humanitarian funding.
Experts say that rather than relying on large-scale solutions like desalination, Africa must invest urgently in local adaptation measures such as early warning systems.
Dr Dawit Solomon of the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) stressed that desalination posed long-term economic, environmental, and social concerns.
“Africa already faces a steep climate change bill. For a continent still struggling economically, this is a dangerous risk multiplier,” he said.
