Living on the Edge: How Nigeria’s Slum Dwellers are Both Victims and Drivers of Climate Change?

Abstract

Nigeria’s slum dwellers, particularly in settlements like Makoko and Port Harcourt, face escalating threats from climate-amplified flooding, air pollution, and extreme heat, hazards disproportionately borne by the urban poor. Drawing on multiple cases and existing evidence, this article explores how systemic neglect and exclusionary urban policies compel residents to adopt survival strategies such as waste burning and charcoal use, which unintentionally exacerbate environmental degradation through emissions and deforestation. These challenges are compounded by limited access to clean energy, waste infrastructure, and healthcare, creating a cycle of vulnerability. Yet, across these communities, grassroots innovations from Makoko’s floating school to informal waste-to-wealth models reveal localized capacities for climate adaptation. Still, structural barriers, including forced evictions, mismanaged funds, and elite-driven urban planning, obstruct the institutional support these initiatives require. By connecting community responses with broader governance failures, this study exposes the need for inclusive development approaches that position slum residents not as passive recipients of aid but as essential actors in climate resilience. Institutionalizing community-led solutions and scaling their impact will be critical to reducing urban climate vulnerability in Nigeria and similar contexts.