The National Agency for Space Research and Development (NASRDA), government agencies and stakeholders have denounced human activities that contribute to poor air quality across the country. They condemned this act on Friday at the closing of the international conference organized by the Center for Atmospheric Research, an activity center of NASRDA, in collaboration with Osun State University and Penn State University, USA.
The conference, which lasted from Monday to Friday, focused on COVID-19, Air Quality and the Environment, with the theme “Combating Pollution: A Silent Threat to our Existence”.
The director of the Center for Atmospheric Research, Babatunde Rabiu, said that in recent years the center had placed air quality sensors in different parts of the country.
Mr. Rabiu said the sensors were primarily to help air quality research that should improve a habitable environment for humans.
The director said the center has several air monitors across the country.
“We have nine clarity devices and 27 Purple Air sensors connected to us, in addition to those connected to other people across the country,” he said.
The Rector of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Osun State University, Israel Oyewole, drew the attention of agencies and the government to air pollution, as well as the need to address issues related to bush burning.
Mr. Oyewole called for better regulation of industrial activities, as well as emissions to the environment.
“If we don’t control pollution, we are in a dangerous situation that will affect us,” he said.
Osun Coordinator, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Chukwunweizu Maike, said the agency has as many as 34 regulations.
Maike said the regulations include regulations on air pollution, vehicle emissions, the ozone layer, surface and groundwater pollution, among others.
He also said that the agency in the state was ensuring compliance, monitoring of facilities, mining, metallurgical and sanitation activities.
“We organize mediation meetings to address community crises and we currently have a mining problem that almost led to the cancellation of the annual Osun Osogbo festival in August.
“Mining in Osun was increasing and we are currently investigating the contamination of groundwater and surface water, particularly where we have the mining companies in Ilesha and the Ile-Ife axis.
“Once we’re done with the investigation, some of these companies may be sealed or face the right penalty,” Maike said.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) Deputy General Manager Olumide Olaniyan said the agency was proposing to set up more stations across the country to continue monitoring air quality.
Ms. Olaniyan said that the continuous pollution of the environment causes climate change, at the same time that it affects the health of humans.
He recalled that, according to the World Meteorological Organization, Nigeria was classified as one of the most polluted countries in Africa.
“The pollution of the atmosphere causes global warming and this causes an increase in temperature that will lead to evaporation, therefore intense flooding.
“Pollution is serious, we need to do something about it and the Sustainable Development Goals have mandated zero emissions by 2030 and I don’t think we are close to that,” said Ms Olaniyan.
He urged that policymakers be tougher in setting policies that promote clean air.
Michael and Cecilia Ibru University Vice Chancellor Fuwape Ibiyinka said: “As individuals, we must cultivate better habits that promote clean air and environment.
”How can we reduce indoor and outdoor pollution, either as a nation or as individuals, as agencies, institutions?
“We need to start taking care of our environment, anything we do to our environment pollutes our lives collectively, whether it’s the soil, the water, or even the air, it’s a cycle.
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“As individuals, we have a responsibility to make sure we take care of our environment, because if we fail, the environment will react.”
According to her, the rural population still uses firewood, adding: ”there is a need to develop renewable stoves, stoves that work with solar energy, we should not only complain, but provide alternatives that are cheap.
“We also need to educate people on the do’s and don’ts, as well as the need to engage the Ministry of Health so they can address it as a health issue for a collaborative effort towards better health.”
Gabriel Fawole, from the School of the Environment at the University of Portsmouth, UK, recommended burying the waste rather than burning and recycling it.
Mr. Fawole said that in the developed world, some human activities such as traveling by plane for short trips, driving a certain distance were regulated to avoid the emissions that come from those means of transport.
He also said that “everyone needs to control their indoor pollution,” adding that 10 to 20 percent of air pollution generated outdoors affects indoors.
“If the environment is dusty, keep the windows closed, because when these contaminants go in, they don’t come out, and when you create contamination inside, they don’t come out easily.”
There were a number of technical sessions that took place at the conference, all suggesting ways that government, institutions and people can contribute to a better and healthy environment.