Hotsteppers Trains Journalists to Report Climate Change, Extreme Heat as Public Health Risks in Lagos
By: Oluwaseun M. Lawal
For many Lagos residents, saying “today is hot” has become part of everyday conversation. But researchers say that simple complaint points to a much bigger public health issue—one that is becoming harder to ignore.
That message took center stage during a three-day Climate and Health Media Workshop in Lagos, where journalists from different news organizations gathered to better understand how climate change is affecting people’s health and daily lives.
The training also marked the official introduction of the Hotsteppers Project, a three-year initiative that combines scientific research, urban planning, public health, and community engagement to tackle the growing dangers of extreme heat across Lagos.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust, the project brings together several institutions, including the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Lagos Urban Development Initiative (LUDI), the University of Lagos Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, UrbanBetter, the Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge, and other research partners.
Rather than focusing only on floods or rising sea levels, the initiative is turning attention to a climate challenge that many people experience every day but rarely recognize as a health emergency.
Speaking during the workshop, Communications Lead for the Hotsteppers Project, Abimbola Badejo, explained that heat is often overlooked in conversations about climate change.
“When people think about climate change, they usually picture flooding or pollution,” she said. “Extreme heat is different because it is less visible, yet it affects people’s health every single day.”
According to her, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can contribute to dehydration, heat exhaustion, cardiovascular illnesses, reduced physical activity, and lower productivity. These risks are especially high for traders, transport workers, commuters, and others who spend long hours outdoors.
She stressed that better public understanding of these impacts could encourage stronger government action and greater investment in climate-resilient cities.
Researchers involved in the project are already mapping areas across Lagos that experience the highest temperatures. Using satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing technology, and thermal mapping, they are identifying neighborhoods and transport corridors where residents face the greatest heat exposure.
Their analysis considers environmental indicators such as Land Surface Temperature (LST), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Building Index (NDBI), and the Building Heat Index (BHI). Together, these measurements help explain how vegetation, buildings, and urban design influence local temperatures.
Early findings suggest that several Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors—including locations around Ojota, Oshodi, and Yaba—record significantly higher temperatures because they are surrounded by concrete and asphalt with limited tree cover.
To strengthen the research, scientists have also installed temperature-monitoring devices in communities such as Fadeyi and Yaba. These sensors collect real-time environmental data that will support future decisions on urban planning and heat reduction strategies.
But the project extends beyond research.
Organizers explained that Hotsteppers is built around seven work areas designed to connect scientific evidence with practical action. These include reviewing climate and transport policies, studying the health effects of extreme heat, involving residents through citizen science activities, tracking the experiences of more than 200 active commuters, and testing interventions such as tree planting, shaded public spaces, and cooling centers in locations identified as heat hotspots.
The evidence generated during the project is expected to inform public policy and provide practical models that other rapidly growing Nigerian cities can adopt.
For journalists attending the workshop, another important lesson centered on Solutions Journalism.
Facilitators encouraged participants to move beyond simply reporting climate-related problems. Instead, they challenged reporters to investigate whether proposed solutions actually work, examine government implementation, hold institutions accountable, and highlight communities successfully adapting to climate challenges.
The approach, they said, helps audiences better understand both the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of ongoing interventions.
Participants also discussed the importance of community ownership, noting that environmental projects are more sustainable when local residents understand how such initiatives improve both public health and their surroundings.
At the close of the workshop, Project Lead Olamide Udoma-Ejorh announced the creation of the Hotsteppers Media Network, a platform designed to support journalists throughout the life of the project.
She explained that the network will provide reporters with continued access to climate experts, research findings, specialized training opportunities, and field activities as the project progresses.
Participating journalists are expected to receive research summaries, datasets, thermal maps, and multimedia resources that can strengthen evidence-based reporting. Quarterly “Story Sprints” will also allow media practitioners to report directly from project activities taking place across 15 local government areas in Lagos.
Through collaborations with UrbanBetter Academy and the University of Cambridge, the initiative also plans to offer expert masterclasses aimed at improving climate and health journalism in Nigeria.
As Lagos continues to expand and temperatures continue to rise, project partners believe that stronger collaboration between researchers, policymakers, communities, and the media will be essential.
Their hope is simple: better evidence, better reporting, better policies—and ultimately, healthier, more resilient cities for everyone.
Oluwaseun Musa Lawal is an Editor at REPORTERS ROOM with over eight years of professional journalism experience. He specializes in reporting on politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial affairs. His work is driven by a commitment to accuracy, balanced reporting, and public-interest journalism.
