Rita Odafe
According to the 2022 World Air Quality Report conducted by IQAir, Lagos State has been ranked as one of the 133 most polluted cities in the world (historical data 2017-2022). At the beginning of 2021, the US AQI figure for Lagos was 160, which is classified as ‘unhealthy’ according to the World Health Organisation’s recommended figures. With an estimated population of 21 million people in the metropolitan area as of 2018, the concentration of PM2.5 pollutant in Lagos was 73.2 µg/m³. The report suggests that people should wear a good quality mask when going outside and keep doors and windows closed to prevent polluted air from entering the home. Outdoor exercise should also be avoided until air quality improves.
The major source of air pollution in Lagos is vehicle emissions, followed by industry and domestic energy use. The report states that 227 vehicles clog each kilometre of road and most of these vehicles are over 15 years old and are not equipped with the latest emission technologies. The fuel they use has a very high sulphur content which is 200 times higher than U.S. standards for diesel. Industrial emissions from zones such as Apapa, Idumota, Ikeja and Odogunyan, where cement, chemicals, furniture, oil refineries, and steel processing industries are concentrated, are also a major source of air pollution in the city.
Half of Lagos’ total energy needs are supplied by generators which are yet another source of air pollution. Poor combustion of the gasoline and oil used to power the generators pollutes the air and could cause huge health damage. In rural areas, the use of energy such as charcoal, wood and kerosene in cooking makes the problem difficult due to limited infrastructure and access to clean energy.
Nigeria is the 10th most polluted country in Africa, with an air pollution rate of 44.8 per cent, followed by Uganda and Ethiopia. It is estimated that over 11,200 premature deaths are the direct result of poor air quality, with 60 per cent of that figure being for children under the age of five years. The report recommends regular inspections of automobiles to ensure that older cars are not releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and that Nigeria must remove cars that are toxic to the environment from the road. It also suggests introducing efficient electric energy to decrease the need for generators and substituting fuelwood, coal and charcoal for biogas in rural areas. Finally, teams should monitor the garbage situation and act accordingly when perpetrators are caught, as well as encouraging daily waste removal from households to properly dispose of garbage.
