Nigeria Partners Indiain Renewed Effort to Tackle Air Pollution

Worried by the level of deterioration in air quality, particularly in the urban centres, the federal government said it is partnering with Centre for Science and Environment, India, in its renewed vigour to tackle air pollution and ensure that Nigerians live in conducive environment.

It said emissions from vehicles, industries, generators, burning tyres, open burning of refuse and other anthropogenic activities contribute in no small measures to the alarming deterioration in air quality particularly in urban cities and impact negatively on environment, human health and the economy.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr. Sheu Ahmed disclosed this recently at a workshop on Clean Air Action Planning Strategy and Implementation in Nigeria, where he noted that the ministry was strategically addressing the issue to meet the long term objective of ensuring sustainable development.

According to him, “the issue of air quality and the actions that must be taken to attain acceptable clean air in Nigeria no doubt have become a source of worry to the federal government.” He added that, “the purpose of this meeting is to critically examine the issue of clean air action planning and strategic implementation in our cities that are gradually becoming polluted with particulate matters with its attendant heath effects which reduces human productivity, increases health budget and in some cases list of lives.”

Ahmed stressed that the meeting would also deliberate on clean vehicle technology, fuel quality programme, general policy on vehicles, the integration of conventional and non-conventional public transport modes and come up with actionable plans and strategies for effective implementation in the country.

The Permanent Secretary however revealed that the ministry through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has gotten to the advanced stage of implementing the National Vehicular Emission Programme.