Achieving comfortable indoor environment in buildings in hot climates requires enormous amounts of cooling energy specifically if passive design techniques were not considered from the outset of the construction process. For instance, overheating in building experienced in tropical climates of Nigeria impacts severely on occupants’ productivity and well-being. This paper reviews existing construction and technological strategies of improving energy efficiency in hot climates with a focus on institutional buildings. The review covers in particular design of building form/shape, passive cooling techniques, thermal comfort and building performance assessment tools. The paper provides also a critical reflection on the effectiveness and suitability of each strategy to address the wider issues of sustainability of the building sector.