An orchard is both a climate change solution and a peacebuilding project in a teaching hospital in northeastern Nigeria, which has experienced both extreme heat and entrenched conflict, Borno has long grappled with a deeply entrenched conflict.
At the beginning of 2025, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in the capital of Borno State created a 1.75 hectare orchard of roughly 826 trees – selected for their ability to withstand extreme heat and arid conditions – in 26 plots.
“Apart from helping to reduce and abate the temperature and mitigate climate change, we can also provide fruits for our patients and our staff at subsidised rates,” Ahmed Ahijo, UMTH’s chief medical director, told The New Humanitarian on a tour of the Patient and Staff Fruit Orchard in December 2025.
The orchard is not yet complete, but fountains and benches have already been installed. The fountain water is intended for irrigation, patients,and animals like birds and bats.
“The fight against climate change is multifactorial,” says Ahijo. “It involves people, the environment, the machines, and the systems we depend on. Many aspects are involved. But I believe that with enough effort, coordination, and commitment, we can still reverse what is happening.”
Between 2014 and 2024, average temperatures rose from approximately 30.5°C to 37.1°C. During the hot season, temperatures in Maiduguri can reach 44°C. At the same time, annual rainfall increased from around 450 millimetres to 550 millimetres, contributing to more frequent and severe flooding.
When most people work outdoors, dehydration increases the risk of fainting and heat exhaustion and places severe stress on the kidneys.
“The kidneys need adequate water to excrete waste products generated by our diet, medications, and other substances we take,” says Ibrahim Ummate, director of the Kidney Center.
At UMTH, the consequences of insufficient hydration are increasingly visible.
“Cases related to these conditions have increased to about 30 percent of our daily clinic visits,” says Ibrahim. The trend is affecting all age groups.
Lower-income countries have fewer resources to adapt to climate change impacts like heat, prompting the need for low cost adaptations like UMTH’s orchard. .
UMTH’s doctors, nurses, and hospital infrastructure are also under growing strain. In September 2024, when flooding swept through large parts of Borno state, millions of dollars’ worth of medical equipment had to be replaced.
Apart from such disasters, daily operations are increasingly disrupted by heat. During peak heat periods, energy consumption rises sharply and sensitive machines such as MRI scanners require constant cooling. Medications, vaccines, and biological materials must be stored in tightly controlled environments.
“At the same time, maintaining generators becomes more difficult,” Ahijo explains. “The hotter the environment, the more frequently they break down.”
UMTH relies on fossil fuel-powered generators to keep the institution’s thousands of air conditioning units running. “We cannot operate without them,” Ahijo says. “Refrigerators are essential. We need enormous amounts of energy, and we are constantly facing breakdowns and power interruptions.”
Despite these challenges, the orchard stands as a reminder that climate adaptation is possible. It is a pillar of hope, while fostering wellness, environmental stewardship, and a greener tomorrow for Borno State, said Amb. Usman Aliyu, director general of the Borno State Agency for the Great Green Wall.
Sources:
In Nigeria’s Maiduguri, a doctor has a simple cure for adapting to extreme heat. The New Humanitarian, Apr. 6, 2026
From Healing Hands to Green Lands: Planting the Future Together. Facebook, Jan. 9, 2025
Hopebuilding 