Nigeria: Pollution and public health emergency

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air, which kills 7 million

More data from WHO show that one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.

No one can escape from air pollution and its effect. With Nigeria being the fourth most polluted in the world, 180 million lives are in danger. Lagos prides itself as the commercial capital of Nigeria. With its booming economic activities and dense population comes the daily generation of millions of tonnes of waste that are poorly disposed by residents and ineffectively collected by those responsible. Anyone who wants to know how dirty Lagos is, should visit the Mile 12 market. The odour and the sight of dirt will trigger a nauseating feeling. Surprisingly, close to the market are food vendors who prepare and sell food and snacks that are not covered and left exposed for microorganisms to settle on. A few kilometres after the market is the Olusosun dump site. With the visible refuse heap and the disgusting odour, one does not need to be told that the air quality of that area is subzero.

The issue of polluted air is the same all over the country. Residents in Port Harcourt are battling with soots. All over the country, cars, tricycles and motorcycles pollute our atmosphere. The statement by the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu that for Nigeria to sell its oil, sale of electric vehicles should be frustrated is a typical example of how Nigeria is moving backward while other countries are moving forward. The recent statement by the UNICEF that only 11 out of 774 local government areas in Nigeria are free from open defecation indicates that we need to take our environment seriously.

Adeola Oladipupo oladipupoadeola194@gmail. com