Funke Busari, Lagos
The Lagos State Government is working towards creating an environment devoid of air pollution.
The State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in pursuit of this innovation has directed all relevant agencies to put machinery in place aimed at improving air quality in the State.
This was disclosed at a webinar session themed Clean Air for A Healthy and Sustainable Environment in Lagos (Fantasy or Reality), in commemoration of the First International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies held on Monday.
The General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe said that the State Government is committed to the deployment of Air Quality Monitoring Stations at strategic locations in Lagos to enable the government measure criteria air pollutants on a 24-hour, real-time basis, to serve as foundation for developing informed policies and actions towards improvement of air quality.
In tandem with this, the LASEPA will also be carrying out a public air quality awareness campaign particularly in exposed communities such as people living in areas with high vehicular movement and industrial activities. This campaign will target high risk communities with high prevalence of avoidable high risk behaviours. This is key due to the emergence of air pollution as the number one public health risk associated with millions of death worldwide, calling for serious attention.
Speaking further, Dr. Fasawe said, “We should be worried about air pollution as the World Health Organization, WHO, attributes over 4 million deaths to ambient air pollution globally, with the majority being respiratory and Cardio-Vascular diseases. Some studies have associated areas with poor air quality with higher risk of COVID-19 hospital admission and mortality. Although these studies are not conclusive, they give an indication of the danger posed by poor air quality and the need to address same urgently.”
Adding that rapid urbanisation and industrialisation of Lagos has contributed to the exposure of people to ecological problems and changing climate conditions, with its attendant negative effect on human health.
The General Manager stated that the development is a wake-up call to accelerate interventions and policies aimed at improving air quality, in order to increase the chances of preventing mortality associated with air pollution.
She listed vehicular and industrial emissions as major sources of air pollution in the state, noting that the metropolis observed and enjoyed very good Air Quality Index, AQI, during the period of the nationwide lockdown as a result of the restrictions placed on both human and industrial activities.
On the level of preparedness of the State Government to cope with environmental challenges that will accompany increasing population and industrial growth of the State, LASEPA GM stated that with consistent advocacy, adequate incentive and full engagement of the private sector as well as government relevant stakeholders such as LAMATA and Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, the use of public transport by the populace can be significantly increased, so as to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and lessen the air pollution burden on the environment.
In his presentation, Prof. Gregory E. Erhabor, Consultant Pulmonologist & Professor of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, analysed the risk of air pollution on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
According to him, the World Health organization, WHO, reported in 2016 that 91% of the world populations were living in places where the air quality guidelines levels were not met.
Professor Erhabor revealed that Particulate Matter (PM), Ozone (03), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) are major pollutants with adverse effect on human health.
He listed the effect of exposure to air pollutants on humans to include respiratory, cardiovascular, dermal and neurological diseases, especially in countries with high industrialisation and lax air quality legislation. He therefore called for strict legislations to protect the lives of people in polluted industrial areas.
The Special Assistant, Office of the Special Assistant to the President on SDGS, Ms. Rose Keffas highlighted that the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2.3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 respectively addresses the threat of air pollution to human development, with their strong focus on poverty reduction and promotion of healthy living.
She noted that it is disheartening to lose four million people annually to traditional pollutants especially due to poverty-related factors, Ms. Keffas said, achieving sustainable global development requires strong action, such as reduction of peoples exposure to traditional environmental pollutions linked to poverty, such as household air pollution and unsafe water sources. Promoting cleaner alternatives including the use of improved cook stoves and modern fuels can drastically reduce air pollution.
