The Lagos State Government has advised citizens to follow the norms and regulations in place to enhance the state’s air quality.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health, gave the advise on Friday at the Air Quality Awareness Walk and Interactive Session organized by the Lagos State Government and the US Mission in Nigeria.
Abayomi stated that there was a need for better air quality since it harmed human health and well-being, citing reports that seven million people died as a result of air pollution worldwide in 2019.
”What we are trying to achieve here is good health. While the initiative is being driven through the Ministry of Environment, and its agency – LASEPA will regulate air quality, water quality, noise pollution, the ultimate impact of bad air or bad water or excessive stress is poor health.
”So the end point of pollution is that it degrades your health. Either you drink water that causes you to get sick, and you end up in hospital or you breathe polluted air that affects your lungs, your heart and your brain and every aspect of your body.
”When you are breathing in polluted air, the pollutants go from your lungs into your bloodstream, and from your bloodstream to every part of your body,” he said.
According to him, research has revealed that air quality in Nigeria and Lagos is subpar.
He stated that when the government establishes standards, regulates, and raises awareness, it is on on the community to comply in order to have a healthy society.
The commissioner advised locals to maintain their automobiles, generators, and motorcycles so that they do not pollute the air.
”Another way to be compliant is to plant trees, because trees take the pollution that we produce and convert it into oxygen. So, trees will take carbon dioxide which is produced by our cars and turn that toxic carbon dioxide into oxygen.
”So all Lagosians should be planting trees. We are 20 million Lagosians. Imagine if every Lagosian was to plant a tree or a shrub every year, then Lagos will be a very fresh and green city. And we’ll be converting some of our pollutants into fresh oxygen,” he said.
Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, Sector Commander, Lagos State, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), stated that the Corps was in the business of cleaning up society and the air, hence impounding cars with harmful emissions.
”We have been collaborating with the Standards Organisations of Nigeria. We have been collaborating with Customs, because most of these vehicles that you see bringing out emission are products of poverty that is all over the places.
”In ideal society you are expected to have clean vehicles with less emission. But what do we see? We see vehicles that have spent their time outside the country being brought into the nation as ”Tokumbo” and they are the ones creating all these emissions we are seen everywhere,” Ogungbemide said.
Mr Brandon Hudspeth, Political Economic Counselor of the US Consulate, stated that the US Government was collaborating with the Lagos State Government to improve air quality.
Hudspeth stated that the US government will bring in technical skills from the US to cooperate with Lagos’ expertise to promote awareness and monitor air quality.
He stated that the data gathered from monitoring air quality will be utilised to help the Lagos State economy.
According to Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), the agency has been raising awareness about the issue of air pollution.
Fasawe stated that, both legislatively and executively, enforcement was required to achieve government aims and would serve as a deterrence.
”We will start to get traffic offenders of the streets, no more air pollution in Lagos State, zero tolerance to smoky vehicles and heavy duty equipment, for cleaner air in Lagos State,” she said.