Green Roof Adoption in Nigerian Cities: A Review

The high rate of urbanization in Nigerian cities has intensified environmental problems such as urban heat islands and deteriorating air quality. These challenges are further increased by traditional roofing systems, which retains heat and increase runoff of stormwater. Green roof systems, a subset of the broader concept of green infrastructure, presents a viable solution by providing significant microclimate and environmental benefits. In Nigeria, adoption of green roofs is still on the low scale, despite their suitability for tropical climates. The review sets out to examine the current state of green roof adoption in Nigeria by synthesizing fifteen peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025 and retrieved from Scopus and Google Scholar databases respectively. The findings indicate that there is growing level of academic and professional interest and less practical implementation. Most of the reviewed studies are geographically concentrated in Lagos. Empirical and simulation-based evidence suggests that green roofs are able to lower surface temperatures by 10-25°C and improve indoor comfort by up to 3°C. However, obstacles to implementation include cost of high installation, unskilled personnel, shortage of local standards and weak policy guidelines despite their benefits. The study concludes that through proper advocacy and localisation, green roofs could become a key tool of environmental resilience and sustainable cities in Nigeria.