FG ranks Lagos, Abuja most air polluted cities

Expert decries high impact of environmental factors

The Federal Government, yesterday, identified Abuja and Lagos as the high capital cities with the poorest air quality and highest level of pollution.

It said that the citizens’ health and overall quality of life are profoundly influenced by the air we breathe.

Permanent Secretary, Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, disclosed this in Abuja during the 39th Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH) International Conference on Geochemistry and Health.

The conference is being co-organised by the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), the umbrella body for geoscience and mining engineering profession in Nigeria, and the Nigerian chapter of the International Medical Geology Association (IMGA-Nigeria) with generous financial support from the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

She said: “In Nigeria, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation has led to significant air quality challenges. Studies have shown that Lagos and Abuja experience high levels of air pollution, which hospitals admit causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.”

“Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, including stricter emission regulations, promotion of cleaner technologies, and public awareness campaigns.”

In his remarks, President of the NMGS, Prof. Akinade Olatunji, raised concerns about the environmental and health implications of mining on surrounding communities.

He said that the conference would afford the global geo-scientific and environmental scientists the opportunity to interact and network with a variety of international scholars attending the conference.