By Our Correspondent
Following the heatwaves that struck Yola, Adamawa State capital, in the past couple of weeks, there has been rise in the number of people dying.
An unofficial cemetery record suggests the death toll may be as high as 400 between May 1st to 13th, 2024.
A severe heatwaves has struck the city with temperatures and humidity reaching a dangerous degrees Celsius. This has resulted in over 200 reported deaths.
Experts blame the casualties on the hazardous conditions, which have increased the risk of heatstroke and exhaustion.
Meanwhile, former governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngilari, has called for immediate action to combat heatwave in Yola as the hazardous situation has increased the risk of heatstroke and exhaustion among the people.
Speaking during a public lecture marking 5- years of uninterrupted governance by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Bala Ngillari expressed deep concern over human activities that have damaged the environment and depleted the ozone layer.
The former governor noted that Nigeria’s growing population is placing a strain on the country’s limited landmass. “The heat in the state makes me feel like we’re on the brink of disaster,” Ngillari noted.
However, the state government has not rest in seeking solution to the impact of climate change troubling that part of the country.
In a move to address the challenge, a collaborative project between Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) and the Adamawa State Government has on record planting of approximately 250 thousand trees across more than 2,000 hectares of land.
However, experts stress the need for a more comprehensive approach to tackle the worsening environmental crisis.
