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The National Policy on the Environment, revised in 2016, defines the environment as a complex and interactive system consisting of the atmosphere, land surface, and bodies of water.
Various stakeholders have raised alarms that human activities, natural disasters, and climate change have put unprecedented pressure on the quality of our environmental conditions.
Environmental degradation, according to the General Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus, is a process “through which the natural environment is compromised in some way, reducing biological diversity and the health of the environment.”
An environmental health study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2021 identifies air pollution, water pollution, lead exposure, poor waste management, deforestation, wind erosion, and flooding as some of the environmental problems Nigeria faces.
Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the country, has experienced several challenges with flooding, waste management, and land or air pollution, which it has promised to tackle through government resilience initiatives.
According to figures quoted by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, it was estimated that Lagos produces between 13,000 and 15,000 metric tonnes of waste, equivalent to about 490 trailer loads daily.
Much of this solid waste remains uncollected in bins, clutters up street corners, and constitutes heaps in some parts of the state, despite efforts by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority to curb the impending environmental crisis.
During a recent interview with Channels Television, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, urged business owners and individuals in the state to play a more active role in maintaining the cleanliness of their immediate environments.
He also called on residents and private organisations to adopt the cleaning of their streets and communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
“Adopting a street or community is an excellent way for organisations to contribute meaningfully to the city’s cleanliness efforts. It goes beyond just placing bins; it’s about taking responsibility for the cleanliness and maintenance of entire neighbourhoods.
“This initiative will also serve as a strong CSR strategy, benefiting both the environment and the organisations involved. What we are doing right now is sensitisation, and yes, the monthly sanitation exercise is coming back,” Gbadegesin stated.
During a sensitisation walk held to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on the Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, stressed the need for citizens to plant more trees as part of measures to combat the effects of climate change.
“We need to change our attitude towards the environment. We need to protect the environment because in it lies our land and our future,” he said.
Human rights and the environment
On 28 July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone on the planet has a right to a healthy environment. This landmark decision is the result of decades of mobilisation by various stakeholders.
The resolution, based on a similar text adopted by the Human Rights Council, calls upon states, international organisations, and business enterprises to scale up efforts to ensure a healthy environment for all.
Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda aims to “protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.”
Despite the inexorable link between human rights and the environment, Nigeria’s bustling economic hub still grapples with an escalating environmental crisis.
Rapid urbanisation, unchecked industrial growth, and a booming population have stretched the state’s environmental management capabilities to their limits.
One of the government’s instruments to induce a responsible attitude towards the environment and ensure its protection was the state environmental protection laws.
However, a US-based Nigerian gas and energy industry expert, Mr Abayomi Ladapo, in a phone interview with Sunday PUNCH, pointed out that lax enforcement of existing environmental regulations has made waste management challenging in Lagos State.
He explained, “Waste management, particularly the handling of hazardous waste and electronic waste (e-waste), presents another significant challenge. Despite existing regulations, enforcement is lax, and penalties for violations are not substantial enough to deter improper disposal practices.
“The rapid increase in e-waste, driven by the state’s growing technological consumption, poses a serious threat to both the environment and public health if not properly managed.
“Equally concerning is the overwhelming presence of plastic waste, which clogs waterways, pollutes streets, and threatens marine life. Lagos generates vast amounts of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in landfills or, worse, in the environment, where it can take hundreds of years to decompose.”
Ladapo further noted that while the current environmental laws in the state are a step in the right direction, they have proved insufficient to tackle the mounting challenges that threaten public health, natural ecosystems, and overall sustainability.
“LAWMA is tasked with overseeing waste management across the state, including the operation of landfills like the massive Olusosun Landfill in Ojota. However, concerns have been raised about the landfill’s compliance with environmental standards.
“The Olusosun Landfill, one of the largest in Africa, has long been a focal point for waste management issues in Lagos. Frequent fires, poor waste segregation, and inadequate safety measures have led to environmental degradation and health risks for nearby communities.
“Ensuring that landfills like Olusosun are brought into full compliance with environmental regulations is critical to mitigating the harmful impacts of waste on both the environment and public health.”
He added that the introduction of tougher waste management laws, with increased penalties for non-compliance and the promotion of recycling and responsible disposal practices across all sectors, should be considered.
Polluted air and water
The Interactive Country Fiches reported that air pollution contributed to 30 per cent (749,200) of all pneumonia deaths in 2019 in Nigeria, with 56 per cent (422,800) from households and 44 per cent (326,400) from outdoor sources.
It added that 40 per cent (304,200) of air pollution-related pneumonia deaths are among children under five years, with 70 per cent (210,400) from household air pollution.
Data also indicates that air pollution poses a significant threat to the health of the population, especially in Lagos.
According to the World Bank’s study ‘Cost of Air Pollution in Lagos,’ illness and premature deaths due to ambient air pollution in 2018 caused an estimated economic loss of $2.1bn, representing about 2.1 per cent of Lagos State’s GDP.
At this year’s Clean Air Forum, held in July, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, called on delegates to develop an appropriate policy framework to address the persistent air pollution problem across the continent.
Wahab assured the state government’s commitment to tackle all forms of environmental degradation, including air pollution, adding that Lagos would consider the outcome and recommendations from experts at the forum on how to improve air quality in its policy formulation and implementation.
In addition to air pollution, water pollution due to underground contamination, untreated sewage, agricultural fertilisers and herbicides, and open defecation continues to cause environmental degradation.
A United Nations Children’s Fund report says, “Based on World Bank estimates, Nigeria will need to triple its budget or at least allocate 1.7 per cent of the current Gross Domestic Product to WASH.
“The ambition is highest for rural sanitation where the gap for improved services is 64.1 per cent. Funding for the sub-sector is weak, and significant household contributions are needed to eliminate open defecation despite low family incomes.”
Commenting on the persistence of air and water pollution, environmental health expert, Ayodele Akinosun lamented the lack of enforceable limits on critical pollutants such as particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides across states in the country.
“This regulatory gap leaves states across the country vulnerable to air and water pollution, which poses severe risks to both the environment and the health of its residents.
“To address this critical gap, there is an urgent need for state governments to establish and enforce strict pollution limits. Industries must be held accountable through regular inspections and compliance checks to ensure that pollution control measures are consistently implemented and are effective,” he told Sunday PUNCH.
He added, “The current legal framework, for instance in Lagos, offers only limited protection for the state’s water resources, leaving rivers, lakes, and groundwater exposed to contamination from industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and untreated sewage.
“This contamination not only affects water quality but also poses significant health risks to the population. To safeguard these vital resources, developing and enforcing comprehensive water quality standards is imperative.
“There should be stricter regulations on effluent discharge from industries, coupled with regular monitoring of water bodies, to ensure that these sources remain clean and safe for public consumption and use.”
Also speaking on the rate of air pollution, Ladapo stated that traffic congestion and vehicle emissions are major contributors to air pollution in Lagos State, noting that the current laws do not adequately address the need for sustainable transportation solutions.
“This oversight contributes to worsening air quality and ongoing traffic challenges that affect the daily lives of residents. The Lagos State government should adopt policies that promote low-emission vehicles, improve public transportation infrastructure, and create safe pathways for cycling and walking.
“These measures would not only reduce pollution but also enhance urban mobility and quality of life in Lagos,” he added.
Mitigating effects of climate change
In a report, the Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria identifies some of the effects of climate change, including “an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events, such as extreme heat days (with temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius), and more violent tropical storms.”
According to the United Nations, “fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas – are by far the largest contributors to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.”
The report added, “As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the earth, they trap the sun’s heat” thus leading to weather extremes, which has been the experience of many countries around the globe.”
Corroborating the report, an environmental engineer, Shina Odemakin, explained to our correspondent that some of the recent occurrences of climate change in the country include more frequent flooding, coastal erosion, and rising temperatures.
“There is a need for the federal and state governments to prioritise climate change by setting ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the adoption of renewable energy, and ensuring that new developments are designed with resilience to climate impacts in mind.
“They should provide incentives for green practices among businesses and introduce policies that offer tax incentives or grants to businesses that adopt environmentally friendly practices.
“Furthermore, by promoting sustainable agriculture, energy, and waste management, the state can drive the transition to a green economy while creating new jobs and economic opportunities,” he stated.
