Nigeria battles hazardous air pollution

ABUJA, Nigeria – Residents in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt are calling for more long-term solutions after the state government declared an air pollution emergency over the region’s soot-filled atmosphere.

Port Harcourt residents in Nigeria’s Rivers state started to complain of soot in the air and in their homes in November. Many took to the streets to protest and others complained on state radio stations that the soot affected their health. Despite the government’s recent efforts to clear the air, environmentalists and health practitioners are calling for more sustainable solutions to the state’s environmental crisis.

Kingsley Oziebe, who lives in Woji district, said he first noticed the soot on his car in November. But he became concerned when he found chunks of the “black substance” hanging on the mosquito nets in his home the following month.

Flora Tipping, a 36-year-old mother of two, said she noticed the soot while cleaning her 9-month-old son’s nose. The soot also left a dark layer over everything in her house, she said.

“We used to clean the house three times everyday,” Tipping said.

Residents protested in the streets, displaying soot-covered hands and calling on the government to act. Ben Baridam, a blogger who lives in the town of Bori, joined in the social media campaign calling for change.

“It was a protest for inaction,” Baridam said. “I was angry we have ministries of environment on the state and federal levels, and no one seemed to care.”

Rivers state government responded this month by setting up a task force of members of the state’s ministries of health and environment. The task force said it tested a sample of the soot and discovered it came mostly from incomplete burning of petroleum products. Already, the government has shut down a Chinese construction company that produced asphalt, saying the plant emitted thick black smog from its furnace. The task force said it’s still investigating the pollution, but listed illegal refining and the burning of tires to get scrap copper as other major contributors.

The state government called on residents to cover their foods and keep their windows closed and warned asthmatic patients to take extra care, among other cautionary measures.

The World Health Organization in 2015 said 94 percent of Nigeria’s population is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed its guidelines. Cities across the country battle with littering and uncontrolled refuse burning. Port Harcourt in the oil-producing Niger Delta region faces additional environmental challenges. Crude oil thieves frequently burst pipelines and spill the oil as they steal. Illegal refining of crude oil and gas flaring also contribute to the problem.

Dr. Williams Weri, who works in the Department of Public Health at the Federal Medical Center in neighboring Bayelsa state, confirmed the soot could trigger nasal infections and asthma attacks from short-term exposure.

Baridam accused the government of lacking the political will to improve the environmental conditions. Law enforcement officials burn illegal refineries and confiscate petroleum products, he said. Oziebe, who works with a center for socio-economic development, said regulatory agencies should carry out regular environmental audits.

Weri acknowledged the government ought to ensure policy enforcement, but also called on the city’s residents to properly dispose of refuse and avoid other forms of pollution.

“It’s not just government’s business,” Weri said. “It’s everybody’s business.”