By Abdul Rafiu Waliyullahi Ayomide

At exactly 2 p.m., the sun hangs heavily over the campus of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. Students are seen hurrying down the walkway from the school hostels to faculties as far as that of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. With handkerchiefs pressed against sweaty faces, and water bottles clutched in their hands, it is another day to attempt surviving afternoon lectures under Sokoto’s blistering heat.

Unfortunately, by the time many students finally arrive at lecture halls, exhaustion has already set in. For students, the struggle against extreme weather conditions has become an unavoidable part of academic life. During the peak dry season, temperatures in the state frequently rise above 40 degrees Celsius, with heat waves becoming increasingly intense in recent years. 

For Muhammad Dare, a 100-level Law student, the reality of returning for second semester lectures quickly overshadowed the excitement of resumption. “When I heard about the resumption for the second semester, I was very happy because it is the final phase of my 100 level. But the frightening thing is those afternoon lectures in this kind of hot weather,” he said. 

According to him, the weather affects not only physical comfort but also his ability to concentrate during lectures. “Before I get to the faculty from my hostel, I am already soaked in sweat,” Dare said. “Sometimes during lectures, I just look at the lecturer without understanding anything being taught.”

He added that the intense heat, combined with mosquito infestation around hostels, has made studying difficult for many students. “The heat here in Sokoto is very unbearable. Reading becomes difficult both inside and outside the hostel because of the heat and mosquitoes,” he said.

Another student, Saleemah Salati of the Nursing Department, described the daily movement to lecture halls during peak afternoon temperatures as physically draining.

“It is usually unbearable going for lectures under the hot sun. Sometimes, I even feel like fainting. Before I even reach the lecture hall, I am already thirsty,” she said.

Her experience reflects concerns increasingly raised by researchers and climate experts around the world about the impact of extreme heat on education and cognitive performance.

A 2025 study published in Population and Environment, which analysed administrative data involving nearly one million students, found that both extreme heat and prolonged heatwaves negatively affect academic performance and concentration. Researchers explained that excessive classroom temperatures reduce students’ ability to focus and weaken the effectiveness of learning time.

Climate and education researchers at Stanford University also found that learning rates decline as the number of hot school days increases. The study, which analysed academic performance data from more than 144 million students across 58 countries, concluded that extreme heat disrupts concentration, learning retention, and examination performance. 

Beyond reduced concentration, experts say prolonged exposure to excessive heat can contribute to dehydration, fatigue, sleep disruption, irritability, headaches, and reduced cognitive processing ability. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management found that repeated exposure to temperatures above 34°C significantly reduced students’ performance in Mathematics and English tests. 

At UDUS, students say the situation becomes worse in overcrowded lecture halls and hostels where poor ventilation and unstable electricity supply limit the effectiveness of fans during periods of extreme heat, even if available.

“To me, endurance is the key to success in UDUS. Both lecture rooms and hostels can become extremely uncomfortable because of the heat. But we are enduring, he said.

Some students have called for lectures to be scheduled earlier in the morning when temperatures are relatively lower, while others believe improved electricity supply and better ventilation systems could ease the burden on students.

Although the weather remains beyond human control, many students believe the learning environment can still be improved to reduce the impact of the heat on academic performance and student well-being.