Lagos on the Brink: Shocking Truths about the Menace of Pollution and Why Immediate Action is Needed

Many cities around the globe are currently battling a serious pollution problem. Lagos, a mega city in Nigeria, ranks among those that face a greater threat from this. It grapples with practically all forms of pollution, including air, land, water, and soil pollution.

Lagos Nigeria. Credit: Stefan Magdalinski

Lagos is arguably the most populated city or state in the West African country. Its population is estimated to be more than 20 million people, mainly due to its status as Nigeria’s most industrialized. This contributes to a pollution problem that threatens the health of its inhabitants.

A Polluted City

With the status of a mega city comes a mega problem. That could be said to aptly describe the Lagos situation when it comes to pollution. When you consider that it ranks among the most densely populated places in the world, you may begin to grasp why pollution would be a big problem there.

Let’s stress that the acceptable annual mean concentration level of particulate matter (PM) that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 10 micrograms per cubic meter of ambient air (μg/m3). At 68 μg/m3, Lagos falls in about the same category as other polluted large cities such as Beijing and Mumbai.

PM refers to particles or substances that are small enough to be suspended in air and inhaled by people. These could be liquid droplets or tiny solids. They can harm a person when inhaled.

The primary source of pollution in Lagos is road transport. You can see too many vehicles plying the city roads and traffic jams are common occurrences. A large proportion of these vehicles lack modern emission-control systems and use fuel that has higher sulfur levels compared to U.S. standards.

Trailing road transport as a major source of pollution is industrial activity. Lagos is arguably home to most factories and manufacturing firms in Nigeria. There is usually a high level of emissions around these facilities.

A staggering PM level of 770 μg/m3 was once reportedly registered in Odogunyan, an industrial area around Ikorodu in Lagos.

Many businesses and homes depend largely, or even entirely in some cases, on power generators. The bulk of these generating sets are in a poor state and probably also use substandard fuel. These play a major part in the pollution seen in Lagos.

Plastic pollution and solid wastes are common sights in most places – on streets, by roadsides, and in drains.

Health Issues from Pollution

Pollution is not known to breed anything good in all forms. It can have harmful effects on both humans and animals, even on plants as well.

Particulate matter, above all, constitutes a major threat to human health. It is capable of breaching lung barriers and finding its way into the bloodstream. PM exposure can result in respiratory conditions, including asthma and lung cancer, as well as heart disease and premature death. It plays a major part in morbidity and mortality.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported in 2013 the carcinogenicity of outdoor air pollution to humans. It observed that PM seemed to increase the risk of developing cancer, especially lung cancer. There was an observed association between pollution and urinary tract or bladder cancer cases.

According to WHO, particulate matter brought about 2.9 million premature deaths in 2017. West Africa accounted for roughly 80,000 of those and Nigeria recorded most of those deaths.

A minimum of 30,000 premature deaths occur every year in Lagos as a result of pollution. This is according to a 2020 estimate by World Bank groups.

Children are believed to suffer more from pollution, as they account for most deaths. More than half of the estimated 30,000 deaths involved infants younger than one year.

The pollution problem not only cost lives but also money. A 2020 World Bank study reports that ambient air pollution resulted in $2.1 billion in losses in 2018. That’s roughly 2.1 percent of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) lost.

Addressing the Challenge

While dealing with pollution in Lagos is the responsibility of everybody there, the government and policymakers must lead the way. There is a limit to what individuals can do.

Policymakers in the areas of waste management, transport, energy, power generation, and urban planning must step up to the plate. It would, for instance, help if households are provided with better, affordable energy solutions. Proper waste disposal and timely removal are critical to ensure that citizens do not burn waste.

The government should also take practical steps to promote the use of low-emission vehicles and better fuel. Vehicles should be regularly and duly inspected, with defective ones taken off the road.

There is also an apparent and overdue need for government to improve the power supply situation. This is more of a matter for the federal government, however, because states have limited say in this regard.

But do the policymakers not really know what to do? It is more of whether they are willing to do them.

Thankfully, World Bank agencies have offered to work with the Lagos government to fight pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Adequate financing and investment in climate-friendly projects and infrastructure would go a long way.