In a new report, Nigeria was adjudged the eight most polluted country in the world with 71.80 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg). The report, published by the Oxford University’s Our World in Data platform and Daily Mail of London, listed the South Asian country of Nepal as the most polluted country in the world with an average of 99.73 µg of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) throughout the year. PM2.5 refers to tiny particles that are less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter.
Other countries with poor pollution records include Niger Republic, the second most polluted country (94.05µp); Qatar, the third most polluted country (91µg) and India, the fourth with 90.87µg. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Cameroun are fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, while Bahrain and Chad are ninth and tenth respectively. The lowest polluted country in the world is Finland with just three deaths per 100,000. It is closely followed by Brunei, New Zealand, Sweden and Canada.
Nigeria’s current 8th position is a decline from its 18th position recorded last year. It is disturbing that Africa’s most populous country always features negatively in almost every report. The other day, for instance, the country was listed among the 22 hunger hot spot countries in the world.
It is not hard to establish why Nigeria is among those on top of the league table of countries that are most polluted. The country’s pollution laws, for instance, are weak and there are very low vehicle emission standards. Though many of the cars on Nigerian roads are no longer road worthy, their owners still drive them to the detriment of other road users. Not only do they emit bad smoke which pollutes the environment, their engines also make a lot of noise, which constitute noise pollution. This is worse with trucks and commercial buses. Unfortunately, some road safety officials and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) look away when such vehicles come their way. Some of these officers concentrate more on private vehicle owners who they extort money from.
Cigarette smokers also contribute to the problem. It has been established that non-smokers who are close to smokers are also liable to suffer the health hazards which smokers suffer. In many public places in Nigeria, especially at pubs, people smoke without any consideration for those who do not smoke.
Also problematic are industrial emissions which contribute to the pollution of the environment, especially in urban areas. Industrialisation is good, but when it is done without any concern or remedial measures for the environment, then it becomes a serious problem. In June 1988, an Italian company arranged to dump toxic waste in Koko, Delta State after paying the community $100 a month. If not for the vigilance of Nigerians who raised the alarm about the action, the company would have succeeded in gradually killing many Nigerians through that singular action. Even then, locals who were exposed to the toxic waste reportedly suffered nausea, paralysis and premature births. The owner of the land where the waste was dumped, Sunday Nana, was said to have died of throat cancer.
Nigerians are also in the habit of dumping garbage, nylons and water bottles inside the drainage systems. This attitude constitutes serious pollution to the environment as such rubbish blocks the drainage leading to flooding and its attendant consequences.
The health of the citizens is seriously in peril when pollution is not controlled. A polluted environment could lead to lung cancer, asthma, heart disease, diarrhoea, cholera, and many others. Among other pollutants, air pollution is reported to be the biggest cause of death. It reportedly causes about seven million deaths annually in the world.
In 2019, pollution accounted for the world’s 6.67 million deaths globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that this menace is the third biggest killer in the world. The number one biggest cause of death in 2019 was said to be high blood pressure. It killed 10.85 million people that year. The second biggest killer was said to be smoking with 7.69million deaths.
On the occasion of the World Pneumonia Day in November 2021, UNICEF noted that Nigeria had the highest number of air pollution-related child pneumonia deaths globally. Children under-five accounted for about 78 per cent of these deaths. UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, added that about 185 children under the age of five die every day from pneumonia due to air pollution in Nigeria, especially from air pollution in the household such as the one coming from cooking over open fires.
Households in Nigeria need to have access to clean energy and cooking technologies. Use of gas for cooking is ideal. Industries should also adopt clean technologies that reduce emissions. Government should initiate policies that will encourage the use of vehicles with low emissions and cleaner fuels as well as walking and cycling. It should map out sustainable strategies that will help in managing urban waste such as recycling and waste separation. Using more of renewable energy will also be more advantageous.