Agencies Lament Human Activities causing Poor Air Quality
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), government agencies and stakeholders have decried human activities that contribute to poor air quality across the country.
They condemned this act on Friday at the close of the international conference organised by Centre for Atmospheric Research, an activity centre 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 Environment, with the theme “Fighting Pollution: A Silent Threat to our Existence.’’
The Director, Centre for Atmospheric Research, Babatunde Rabiu, said the centre in the past few years had positioned air quality sensors across different locations of the country.
Mr Rabiu said that the sensors were primarily to aid research on air quality which should improve a habitable environment for humans, adding that the centre has several air monitors across the country.
The Provost, College of Science and Engineering, Osun State University, Israel Oyewole, drew the attention of agencies and the government to air pollution, as well as the need to address issues on bush burning. Mr Oyewole called for improvement on the regulation of industry activities, as well as emissions into the environment.
The Osun Coordinator, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Chukwunweizu Maike, said that the agency has up to 34 regulations.
Mr Maike said the regulations include regulation on air pollution, vehicular emission, ozone layer, surface and ground water pollution, among others.
He further said that the agency in the state was ensuring compliance, monitoring of facilities, mining, base metal facilities and sanitation activities.
The Deputy General Manager, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Olumide Olaniyan, said the agency was proposing to establish more stations across the country to further monitor air quality.
Mrs Olaniyan said that continuous pollution of the environment causes climate change, while it affects the health of humans.
She recalled that according to the World Meteorological Organisation, Nigeria was ranked one of the worst polluted countries in Africa.
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“Polluting the atmosphere causes global warming and this causes increase in temperature that will lead to evaporation, hence intense floods.
“Pollution is serious, we need to do something about it and the Sustainable Development Goals have given the mandate for zero emission by 2030 and I don’t think we are close to that,’’ Mrs Olaniyan said.
She urged that policy makers should be stricter in establishing policies that promote clean air.
The Vice-Chancellor, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Fuwape Ibiyinka, said, ”as individuals, we need to cultivate better habits that promote clean air and environment.
”How can we reduce indoor, outdoor pollution, either as a nation or individuals, as agencies, institutions?
“We need to start taking care of our environment, whatever we do to our environment, pollutes our lives collectively, whether soil, water or even air, it is a cycle.
“As individuals, we have the responsibility to ensure that we take care of our environment, because ,if we default, the environment will react.’’
According to her, rural people still use firewood, adding, ”there is need to develop renewable stoves, solar operated stoves, we should not just complain, but provide alternatives that are cheap.
“We also need to educate people on the dos and don’t, as well as the need to engage the Ministry of Health so they can carry it as a health issue for a collaborative effort towards better health.’’
Gabriel Fawole, from School of the Environment, University of Portsmouth, UK, recommended for wastes to be buried in place of burning them and recycling of wastes.
Mr Fawole said that in the developed world, some human activities like travelling on air for short trips, driving some distance were regulated to avoid emissions that come from those means of transportation.
He also said, ”everyone needs to control his indoor pollution,” adding that 10 to 20 per cent of air pollution generated outdoor affect the indoors.
“If the environment is dusty, keep your windows shut, because when these pollutants come in, they don’t go out and when you generate pollution indoors, they don’t go out easily.’’
There were a series of technical sessions that took place at the conference, all suggesting ways the government, institutions and individuals can contribute towards a healthy and better environment.
