Harmattan is the dry and dusty West African trade wind that blows South from Sahara into the gulf of Guinea at intermittent strengths between the end of November and the middle of March.

Though it’s not so cold presently in Lagos, the long forgotten season of dust has returned. While people in Port Harcourt and other southern states may be enjoying a relative humid condition at this time of the year, people in the far North are almost clamoring that it should go, as they contend with cracked lips, or dusty skins and leaking nostrils.

Due to the dryness and harshness of the harmattan weather, you should be mindful of what you wear and also pay more attention to your skin to avoid cracking a skin.

The skin can be kept healthy by topical application of oily creams and weather-friendly dressing. This is perhaps the best time to explore the cultural advantage of wearing ‘Etibo’ (South-South traditional attire) and suits, and other thick fabrics like wool, and cotton as it pleases one to keep warm.

Covered shoes and boots are recommended for your footwear, as this would also keep your foot warm. Sandals are not really advisable for this season because of dust. To avoid cracking, always ensure you constantly apply lip gloss on your lips. Your eyes also needs to be protected, since the eyes are directly exposed to the harsh weather especially the dust particles carried by the wind, so to reduce exposure to dust, protective spectacles are advocated. Also at night, you should sleep under layers of clothing to keep you warm with your doors and windows closed