Motorists and generators are cited as the main sources of air quality deterioration in Lagos State, Nigeria. In a statement issued on 15 January 2024, the local government stresses the need for green and improved air throughout the state to ensure healthy living.
On Monday 15 January 2024, in Lagos, Nigeria, the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) issued a statement noting that current air quality in many parts of the state is poor. According to IQAIR, a platform that publishes real-time data on air quality, the air pollution index in Lagos is currently 152 US AQIs, 13.4 times higher than the concentration of PM2.5 particles recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
PM2.5 are fine particles, emitted mainly during combustion processes. They have a diameter of 2.5 microns (μm). Like all particles, they are made up of a mixture of different chemical compounds.
Stressing the need for green and improved air throughout the State to ensure a healthy life, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, Director General of LASEPA said that such a high level of air pollution is dangerous for human health. Residents of the affected areas could suffer from respiratory diseases such as lung infections, asthma, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma, pulmonary hypertension and runny noses, among others.
Second leading risk factor for death in Africa
Having identified emissions from generators in residential areas and vehicle emissions as the main causes of poor air quality in certain regions, LASEPA is urging people to switch to biofuels, which are safer and more environmentally friendly than diesel or petrol.
The agency is also advocating reducing the number of vehicles on the roads by carpooling or preferring public transport to people putting their cars on the road every day.
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This situation is becoming more widespread across the continent. According to the report on “The state of air quality and its effects on health in Africa” recently produced by the State of Global Air initiative, air pollution is the second most common risk factor for death in Africa. In 2019, for example, air pollution contributed to 1.1 million deaths, 63% of which were linked to exposure to household air pollution (HAP).
Boris Ngounou
