Influence of El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Climate Variability in Sudan-Sahel Region of Nigeria: A Case Study of Sokoto Town, Nigeria

El -Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate phenomenon with a genesis region in the Pacific Ocean but has farreachingconsequences for regional and global weather and climate. In fact, ENSO events influence almost every aspect ofhuman society such as disease outbreaks, agriculture, natural disasters, and water resources. Its impacts might be higherespecially in areas with high vulnerability, such as the Sudan Savannah on northern Nigeria. Thus, this research investigatesthe influence of the ENSO on the temperature and rainfall of Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria by establishing relationship betweenrainfall and temperature data with the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) for Nino3.4 region and the Southern OscillationIndices (SOI) data over the period from 1980 to 2016 using correlation and regression analysis. Overall, the results showedthat there is relatively insignificant relationship between ENSO events and the changes in the temperature and rainfall inSokoto, Northwest Nigeria. ENSO influence on rainfall was found to be stronger than the influence on temperature. Theresults indicate that the temperature over the state is higher (lower) after an El Nino (a La Nina) year compared to themagnitude during a strong El Nino (La Nina) event. Also, the magnitude of the total annual rainfall in the state is low (high)during an El Nino (a La Nina) event. It can be conclude that, ENSO events are not the only factors causing temperature andrainfall variability in the state and the recommendations made should be adhered in order to remedy the negative impacts ofENSO on various aspects of human society.