CLEAN-Air Forum: Hazardous air conditions threaten health of Lagos residents -Expert

An expert, Collins Odigie Ojiehanor, has stressed the urgent need for comprehensive action to combat the hazardous air conditions threatening the health of Lagos residents.

Ojiehanor said this while speaking at this year’s four-day Conference of CLEAN-Air Forum in Lagos.

The Forum, organized by AirQo (CLEAN-Air Network), was a gathering of over 300 participants from 40 cities across 40 countries and held at Lagos Continental Hotel.

He stated this just as another expert, Abid Omar, expressed his concerns at the high levels of pollutants and poor air quality in Lagos.

In his speech, Ojiehanor stated: “In a stark revelation on the nature of air quality in Lagos, findings revealed the alarming extent of air pollution in Lagos. In a 15-kilometer run from Maryland to Ikeja which not only brought community together but also collected real-time data, revealing no areas with good air quality and highlighting severe pollution along major routes, the findings, with air quality ranging from moderate to very unhealthy air, underscored the urgent need for comprehensive action to combat the hazardous air conditions threatening the health of Lagos residents”.

Abid Omar, a research and community engagement expert and founder of the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, raised concerns about the high levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions experienced during the recent #RunLagos Campaign in Lagos.

This highlights the invisible but dangerous pollution from vehicular emissions, prompting a warning against running on main roads.

In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, who was represented on the occasion by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Professor     noted: “As a University, we are committed to supporting research, education, and community engagement that promote environmental sustainability and public health.

“We believe that clean air is a fundamental right, and we must work together to ensure that future generations inherit a healthier and more sustainable environment”.

Dr. Rose Alani, an Associate Profeesor, spoke on Stock take on participatory initiatives in Lagos, stating Consultations in AQMRG among the project partners.

The team took considerable effort to draw up a list of concerned stakeholders that was as broad and representative as possible.

They include: Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Regular road users and Transport workers, Public Health Professionals, Market and Community Leaders, Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC)Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ministry of Education, Lagos State, Seventeen Government hospitals Academia.

Surveys were conducted through questionnaires and follow-up physical stakeholder engagement to make the project clearer to the stakeholders

Prof. Engineer Bainomugisha charged  partners and stakeholders were charged to work together to strengthen partnership that they have built to improve access to air quality data, strength policies by using data to improve air quality.

They have also been urged to boost the use of evidence and data to increase information and awareness and strengthen actions to tackle the problem of air pollution on the African continent and the world.

Prof. Bainomugisha of Makerere University, Uganda, gave the charge in his speech titled: “Advancing collaborations and multi-regional partnerships for clean air actions in African cities,” in Lagos.

The Head of Environmental Health Research, Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana, Dr Sulemana Abubakari  said the willingness of African nations to provide reasonably subsidized alternatives such as cooking gas to their citizens would help reduce environmental pollution in the continent.

Dr. Abuabakari argued that it was through such governmental intervention that the rising number of Africans, still compromising the air quality through the use of charcoal and firewood would be persuaded to have a rethink.

The scholar further argued that though statistics with regard to pollution-induced deaths would also help check the use of charcoal and firewood ,a significant drop in the cases of firewood and charcoal ,-induced pollution would remain a mere  dream without a deliberate  government policy to provide cheaper alternatives to the populace.

He  identified wrong prioritization as a major   bane of African countries pointing out that some of them were in the habit of deploying public funds to what ,at best ,could be referred to as frivolities.

The researcher pointed out that it was incumbent on African countries to become more environmentally-friendly noting that that was the only way to prevent the devastating effect of a mis-managed environment.

Dr Abubakari urged the stakeholders to help keep political office-holders on their toes in order to implement the right environmental laws at all times.

Clean-Air Forum Lagos 2024 which has the theme: “Advancing collaborations and multi-regional partnerships for clean air actions in African cities:,drew participants from many countries around the world.

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