by Abdulmajid Abubakar
Nigeria’s unusually warm December has laid bare an uncomfortable truth. The harmattan, once defined by its crisp chill and powdery haze, is rapidly losing its seasonal identity. What Nigerians are experiencing from last year December is not merely a weakened harmattan; it is a climate signal, a warning, and a reminder that West Africa is now warming faster than the global average, with profound implications for ecosystems, economies, and public health.
Recent observations suggest a shift in the atmospheric patterns that typically shape the Harmattan season. The Harmattan arises when a strong high-pressure system over the Sahara interacts with lower pressure near the equator, creating dry northeasterly winds that blow across West Africa. These circulation patterns normally deliver the cool, dusty conditions associated with the season. However, unusually high temperatures over the Sahara last year may have influenced these pressure contrasts, contributing to shift, milder, shorter, and more uneven Harmattan spells across parts of Northern Nigeria.
This is not an isolated event. It aligns with a broader regional trend: West Africa is warming by 0.2-0.4°C per decade, with Nigeria’s temperatures increasing faster than the global mean. The consequences include fading seasonal contrasts, intensified urban heat, and greater strain on agriculture and energy systems.
Nigeria’s experience is part of a global pattern of climate instability. The United Kingdom is simultaneously undergoing its own unprecedented winter shift. Last year’s December 2025 has been one of the warmest on record, with temperatures more typical of early autumn than winter in some regions.
Record-breaking winter warmth has been observed in parts of England and Wales, echoing the UK’s trend of increasingly mild winters over the past two decades. Scientists have noted that this warmth rivals, and in some areas surpasses, historical records set in 2015 and 2019, clear evidence that Europe’s winters are losing their traditional cold edge.
This synchronicity–unseasonal winter warmth in both West Africa and Western Europe; underscores the global nature of the climate system, where regional anomalies reflect a shared warming trajectory.
Historically, both regions offered predictable seasonal markers: Nigeria’s December-February harmattan brought cool dawns and dry air. The UK’s winter delivered persistent frost, low temperatures, and occasional snow. Yet, climate records from the past 50 years show a steady decline in the frequency and intensity of cold episodes across both regions. The harmattan of the 1970s and 1980s was markedly cooler and longer.
Likewise, the UK’s typical winter temperatures in the 1960s-1980s were significantly colder than today. The current anomalies are not random departures; they are part of a long-term, documented shift.
Nigeria has adopted formal strategies such as the National Climate Change Policy (2021-2030) and the Energy Transition Plan, both signaling ambition. Yet, an “implementation gap” persists, particularly the slow pace of transitioning from fossil gas dependence to renewable energy deployment.
Bridging this gap will require scaling climate-resilient, locally adaptable agriculture; mandating green urban design and passive cooling to counter heat stress; modernizing early-warning and heat-health systems; and opening climate and environmental data for accountability and decision-making. These measures are low-cost relative to the long-term savings they deliver.
The fading harmattan is more than a meteorological curiosity; it is a threshold moment. Nigeria can treat last year’s December as a warning or as the beginning of a decisive, adaptive era. The real question is no longer “Where has the harmattan gone?” but “How will Nigeria prepare for the climate future unfolding before our eyes?”
As the seasons shift worldwide, from the warming UK winter to Nigeria’s vanishing harmattan, one truth stands firm: climate change is no longer distant. It is here, reshaping our realities. What Nigeria chooses to build in response will define its resilience for decades to come.
Abdulmajid Abubakar is a Researcher, Climate Activist, Natural Resource Manager, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Champion with over a decade of experience driving change across Africa.
His work focuses on raising awareness, building climate resilience, and promoting sustainable solutions that empower people and protect the planet.
He is the Founder and Executive Director of Eyes on the Environment Initiative, a youth-led organization dedicated to empowering and inspiring young people, strengthening rural livelihoods, and transforming environmental challenges into opportunities for growth and hope.
