Nigerian Farmers Vow to Stop Bush Burning as Heat Waves Destroy Crops
Farmers in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom state have pledged to stop bush burning and plant more trees, as rising temperatures and erratic rainfall linked to climate change threaten food production across the region. Environmental activists are also urging the Edo state government to protect its forests and accelerate the shift to clean energy, warning that deforestation and pollution are worsening the impacts of extreme weather.
At a World Environment Day event in Etinan, local farmers agreed to adopt “nature-based solutions” — including tree planting to restore soil health and natural pest control instead of chemicals — to safeguard their harvests. Organizers said climate change is already causing irregular rainfall and hotter weather, damaging crops and reducing yields in a region where agriculture is the main source of income for most families [167645].
“We cannot ignore what is happening to our land. Bush burning destroys the soil. We must change our methods,” one participant said.
Meanwhile, prominent environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey delivered a keynote address at Igbinedion University in Okada, calling on Edo State to halt deforestation and pollution. He warned that the state is becoming more vulnerable to climate shocks and stressed that saving forests is essential for the region’s future. Bassey also urged a faster transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power [167643].
“Saving the forests is not optional. It is essential for the state’s future,” Bassey said. Edo State officials have not yet responded to the activist’s call.
The twin developments come as global temperatures continue to rise. Spain’s state weather agency reported that April 2026 was the hottest April in the country’s history, with rainfall “below normal values, very dry” [167576]. The United Nations Environment Programme warned that the world is “crossing” the 1.5°C warming limit, and that the response to climate warnings has been “drowned out by noise: delay, distraction, denial” [167576].