Severity of Air Pollution

Nigeria is located in West Africa, where distinct regions of swamps, arid deserts, vast plains, dense mountains, humid jungles, and rivers provide habitat for approximately 44,000 species of both land and marine animals. In Nigerian society, the older a person is, the more wisdom they have, so the elders are respected. However, Nigerians’ average age is about 18.4 years old, mostly consisting of young populations. Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, are the four ethnic groups that citizens are in. Nigeria is considered as one of the least developed countries, but it is also considered as the fastest growing nation in the world. They are actively installing infrastructures and using up resources, which made a sudden and drastic change in their environment. Consequently, the air quality in Nigeria is very poor, with 11,200 premature death annually, according to the World Bank.

The citizens of Nigeria depend on Nigeria’s wooded regions of jungles and mountains because they use wood as fuel and they cut and burn down trees to gain land to install infrastructures and facilities. However, the overuse of the resources led to deforestation, which means the air quality is getting poorer due to the ashes and smoke from burning wood and the absence of trees that are capable of purifying the polluted air.

Nigerians also depend on oil for their economy. Nigeria’s economy is one of the largest in Africa. The petroleum industry has been in use since the late 1960s, and it is accounting for more than 90 percent of the country’s export value. Petroleum is created when dead organisms are pressed with great heat and pressure by rocks. It is used to power vehicles, machines, heating units, and they are even converted to plastic. Petroleum seems to do no harm to the environment and to humans since they are closely related to our daily life, but serious consequences exist. They are a major source of toxic chemicals that contribute to air pollution, such as nitrogen and greenhouse gas. Nigeria’s economy has reached its highest point due to its constant production of petroleum, but the industry is also making air pollution a more severe issue.

Air pollution is modifying Nigeria’s environment by damaging crops and trees, which leads to deforestation, which is also one of the issues that can get severe. More than half of Nigerians are farmers, indicating that agriculture is one of the most important factors of sustaining people’s lives. Air pollution’s toxic chemicals are prone to get in contact with the crops and even if the crops aren’t damaged physically, they might be poisoned. Even though agriculture is very crucial in the Nigerian economy and society, the issue of food insecurity is getting worse as the amount of crops is not sufficient for the growing population.

In brief, we have looked at how Nigeria is being affected by air pollution and what other environmental issues are connected to them. Global warming, climate change, food insecurity, and deforestation are all crises that are linked to air pollution, especially when air pollution is not dealt seriously. As I mentioned, elders have a crucial role in Nigerian society. Research shows that silent strokes and significant brain damage could happen when the elders are exposed to polluted air. Thankfully, the Nigerian government is currently aiming to cut down methane and other major pollutant emissions, and this goal expects to reduce about 30,000 fatalities a year. I really hope that Nigeria and the world can devise effective measures that will help reduce air pollution. We cannot leave people to be swept into the vicious cycle of multiple issues. I believe the whole world can get more innovative when a suitable plan is put into use. Thank you.