Stephen Enoch
The delayed and erratic harmattan season witnessed in Kano State this year has been attributed to the increasing impacts of climate change, sparking renewed calls for collective action as the state prepares for the approaching rainy season.
Isiyaku Ahmed is the Executive Director of the Community Initiative for Climate Engagement and Development (CICEND).
Speaking in an interview with Stallion Times in Kano on Thursday, he highlighted the unusual seasonal shift, explaining that “in Kano, the harmattan season traditionally begins in late November or early December and lasts until late February or early March the next year.
“But we are all witnesses to the fact that this year’s harmattan has either not fully set in or, at best, has remained unstable.”
The harmattan is usually characterized by dry, dust-laden winds, reduced visibility, and cold mornings and nights, with peak intensity often recorded between December and January.
In recent years, however, climate change has increasingly disrupted this pattern, resulting in delayed onset, irregular duration, and fluctuating intensity of harmattan conditions across the state.
According to him, these developments reflect broader climate change trends that continue to alter weather patterns across northern Nigeria, with serious implications for public health, agriculture, and urban infrastructure.
The concerns were raised as part of CICEND’s sensitization activities on the Kano State Climate Change Policy, which was approved and officially launched on 22 July 2025 by the state government with support from the Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Change (PACE), a UK FCDO-funded program in Nigeria.
The policy provides a framework for addressing climate risks through improved environmental governance, promoting clean energy, implementing climate-smart agriculture, enhancing public awareness, and investing in adaptation measures.
It also emphasizes community participation as a critical component of effective climate action.
In light of the shifting seasons, Ahmed cautioned that Kano may face heightened risks of flooding, particularly in urban areas, if drainage systems and waterways are not adequately protected as the state moves from the harmattan period into the rainy season in the coming months.
While acknowledging ongoing government efforts to construct and rehabilitate drainages and waterways across the state, the CICEND Boss stressed that residents also have a responsibility to ensure such infrastructure is not converted into dumping sites for refuse and dirt.
“Blocked drainages and waterways worsen flooding during the rainy season, damage public infrastructure, and expose communities to water-borne diseases.
“Climate resilience requires both government commitment and responsible environmental behaviour by residents,” he said.
He urged households to dispose of waste through approved channels, avoid dumping refuse in gutters and waterways, and participate in the monthly sanitation exercises to support flood prevention efforts.
He further noted that the Kano State Climate Change Policy recognizes the role of public awareness and behavioural change in adapting to climate impacts such as delayed harmattan, unpredictable rainfall, and rising temperatures.
Ahmed called on traditional leaders, community groups, civil society organizations, and the media to intensify sensitization efforts ahead of the rainy season, stressing that environmental protection is essential to safeguarding lives and livelihoods.
“A combination of climate-responsive policies and active citizen participation will help Kano State to cope with the increasing impacts of climate change,” he added.
