The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has issued a warning regarding the potential deterioration in visibility in several northern states of Nigeria. This decrease in visibility is attributed to dust haze originating from neighboring regions.

Mr. Muntari Ibrahim, NiMET’s General Manager of Public Affairs, signed a statement on Wednesday in Abuja to convey this information.

The source regions for this dust haze include Chad, with specific locations like Faya-Largeau, Bol-Berim, Mongo, Abeche, and Ndjamena.

These regions have reported horizontal visibility issues, with dust haze causing poor visibility ranging between 1000 meters and 3000 meters over the past 24 hours.

Compounding the situation are strong winds, which are facilitating the movement of suspended dust particles into several states in northern Nigeria.

Consequently, the horizontal visibility in these states is expected to further deteriorate.

NiMet has identified the following states as being at risk of experiencing dust haze with moderate to poor visibility in the next 24 hours: Katsina, Kano, Nguru, Jigawa, Potiskum, and Maiduguri.

The statement explained, “Diffa, Maine-Soroa, Goure, Bila, Maradi, Zinder, and Birni-n-Konni have been reporting dust haze in poor visibility between 1000m and 3000m over the last 24 hours. Due to strong winds, the dust in suspension is expected to propagate to some states in the northern part of the country, further reducing horizontal visibility.”

In response to this alert, NiMet strongly advises members of the public to take necessary precautions.

The suspended dust particles in the atmosphere can have adverse effects on respiratory health, particularly for individuals with pre-existing respiratory ailments.

Therefore, those with such conditions need to protect themselves and minimize outdoor exposure during these conditions.

NiMet also encourages airline operators to make use of weather reports provided by the agency for effective planning in their operations.