Climate Change and Extreme Rainfall Variability in Parts of North- Western Nigeria.

Abstract

Rainfall variability on long and short-term scales were analyzed for North- Western Nigeria comprising Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States to ascertain the pattern of rainfall in the zone. The statistics adopted for the study shows a variation in the mean, the standard deviation and the coefficient of variability in the rainfall values. The analysis shows a fluctuation in both the inter-annual and intra-annual rainfall in the region. The study also reveals that the drought of 1970s and 1980s despite their severity has little or no influence on the climate of the region as the long-term mean rainfall higher than the short –term mean and indication that the region is getting wetter with the long-term mean annual rainfall in the zone increasing by 12 percent over the last four decades. Although it cannot be said if the shift is permanent or temporary. Possible options for stabilizing the region’s climate are advanced