A climate change expert, Dr Samuel Adejuwon, says any rainfall that lasts for 12 hours at this time of the year is unusual and can be linked to the effect of climate change.
Adejuwon made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, October 28, 2019 in Abuja.
According to him, the prolong rainfall in the month of October is usually experienced between July, August and possibly part of September.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other parts of the country witnessed heavy rains since Oct. 25 and did not abate until the earlier hours of Monday.
“The level of rain that is expected to fall in October should be between 30 minutes to one hour but rain falling for 10 hours and above in October is very unusual.
“It could be effect of climate change; Nigeria is currently experiencing climate change in every area.
“There is an explanation for this unusual rainfall, but it is not one- or three-years rainfall that shows that climate is changing but an aggregated rainfall in a period of time,’’ said Adejuwon, erstwhile Director, Department of Climate Change in the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Prof. Park Idisi, a development and agricultural economist in University of Abuja, said that the current rains being experienced in October in the country could be seen as effect of climate change.
“October is ending but is like the rain is just coming instead of ending, this will affect grains such as millet, sorghum, beans and guinea corn as they do not require much rain.
“We can see the way the climate is changing, heavy rainfall every day and the vegetation is changing, we are also experiencing flood, farmlands are being submerged; all of these will affect the grains.
“The nation needs to prepare to address the effect of climate change for us to have food security, if rains continue, beans will not germinate well because it requires little water to grow,’’ he said.
By Francisca Oluyole
