FG Unveils Measures to Improve Air Quality as Experts Warn of Rising Health Risks
The Federal Government has unveiled a series of measures to improve air quality across Nigeria, including the establishment of a national framework for vehicular and generator emissions testing, expansion of air quality monitoring stations, promotion of cleaner fuels and implementation of a National Clean Cooking Policy aimed at achieving universal access to clean cooking energy solutions by 2030.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, stated this in his keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Salihu Usman, at the 2026 commemoration of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
The event, which brought together , development partners, experts, civil society organisations, private sector representatives, academia, the media and other stakeholders, focused on the urgent need for collective action to address Nigeria’s growing air pollution challenges.
The Minister said the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2020, was more than an annual observance, describing it as a global reminder of the fundamental importance of clean air to human existence.
He said the right to breathe clean air affected every individual, irrespective of age, status, location or circumstance, stressing that because air was shared by everyone, its protection must also be a collective responsibility.
According to Lawal, air pollution remains one of the greatest environmental and public health challenges of the time, with its consequences extending beyond atmospheric conditions to human health, ecosystems, agricultural productivity, livelihoods and the resilience of communities.
He said the challenge was becoming increasingly urgent in Nigeria due to the country’s rapidly growing population, expanding cities, rising transportation needs, industrial activities, increasing energy demand, waste generation, agricultural practices and continued reliance on polluting fuels.
The Minister cited Nigeria’s ranking as the third most polluted country in Africa in the 2025 World Air Quality Report, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 23.4 micrograms per cubic metre, which he said was approximately 4.8 times the World Health Organisation’s annual guideline level.
He, however, stressed that behind the statistics were real human beings exposed to polluted air daily.
“This is a child breathing polluted air. This is a mother cooking in an environment filled with harmful smoke. This is a commuter navigating congested roads. This is a worker exposed to emissions every day. This is a community living alongside sources of pollution,” he said.
The Minister noted that clean air was therefore not merely an environmental issue but also a health, economic, social justice and development issue.
He challenged Nigerians to consider the kind of environment they wanted to leave for future generations, stressing that the country must pursue economic growth without compromising human health and environmental sustainability.
“Nigeria must grow. But Nigeria must grow in a manner that allows both people and the environment to thrive,” he said.
Lawal said the Federal Ministry of Environment was working with relevant ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, development partners and other stakeholders to improve air quality through policies, legislation, programmes, standards, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
He disclosed that the Ministry was working towards establishing a national framework to guide states that are establishing vehicular and generator emissions testing centres.
According to him, the framework would ensure that such centres operate in line with national minimum standards and contribute effectively to reducing emissions from vehicles and generators.
He also highlighted the strategic importance of the Federal Government’s transition towards cleaner and alternative fuels, particularly the increasing adoption of compressed natural gas, CNG, in the country’s transportation system.
The Minister said the CNG transition was not only an energy and economic intervention but also an important opportunity to reduce emissions and improve air quality in Nigerian cities.
Lawal said the government was equally addressing indoor air pollution through the development and implementation of the National Clean Cooking Policy.
He noted that serious efforts to improve air quality must also address pollution inside homes and institutions, particularly pollution arising from the use of polluting cooking fuels.
He said the policy was designed to achieve universal access to clean cooking energy solutions for households and institutions by 2030.
The Minister described the initiative as an important component of the government’s broader environmental and public health strategy, stressing that cooking should not become a health hazard.
The Minister said data would remain at the heart of Nigeria’s air quality management efforts.
He disclosed that the Ministry’s mission was to establish a robust network of air quality monitoring stations across the country to generate reliable and timely data for evidence-based policymaking and environmental management.
He said the government’s ultimate ambition was to enable every citizen to know, in real time, the quality of the air they were breathing.
According to him, the Ministry had established air quality monitoring stations in Port Harcourt, Kano and Lagos, alongside the development of a mobile application that would provide real-time Air Quality Index information.
He acknowledged that the initiative was only a beginning, stressing that much more remained to be done to achieve comprehensive air quality monitoring nationwide.
Lawal also disclosed that the Ministry was engaging stakeholders in the development of national policies on air quality management, as well as a youth-led national clean air programme.
Under the programme, young Nigerian celebrities and high-net-worth individuals would be encouraged to serve as clean-air ambassadors and help promote awareness about the dangers of air pollution.
He said the National Clean Air Campaign, launched in September 2025, was also part of efforts to move the issue of air pollution beyond technical discussions and into the consciousness of Nigerians.
“Ultimately, a policy succeeds not merely when it is written, but when it changes behaviour and improves lives,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Benjamin Suleiman, Founder and Executive Director of the Save the Planet Initiative and an Ecotoxicologist specialising in air pollution, called for urgent and collective action to address the growing impact of air pollution on human health.
Suleiman said air pollution was particularly important to him because of his involvement in research into its effects, stressing that evidence from his work showed that pollution had negatively affected human health and required greater attention.
He cited global reports which, according to him, linked about 8.4 million deaths to air pollution, with Africa accounting for a significant proportion of those deaths.
He also warned that children were among those affected by air pollution and said exposure had been linked to serious health conditions, including cancer and atherosclerosis, while also aggravating other diseases.
“I want to say for a fact that we all need to come together as a group and as a unit to make sure that we address this menace which has actually affected our health negatively,” he said.
Suleiman disclosed that he had conducted research on traffic-related air pollution, including laboratory studies involving mice exposed to traffic pollutants.
According to him, the research investigated the effects of pollutants such as PM2.5 and carbon monoxide on the health of laboratory mice.
He said the findings provided an indication of the potential magnitude of air pollution exposure on human beings who live and work in polluted environments.
Suleiman said the lungs of mice exposed to traffic pollution showed significant changes after 30 days, while mortality was also recorded during the research.
He said such research was important in understanding the potential consequences of prolonged exposure to polluted air and providing scientific evidence for public health interventions.
The environmental expert also disclosed that he conducted a public health perception study in Ojota, Lagos, to examine how residents understood the effects of air pollution.
According to him, the research showed that many people living in the area were unaware of the health consequences of air pollution.
He said the findings prompted his organisation to organise a World Environment Day event in June, bringing together stakeholders from transport organisations and other relevant groups.
Suleiman said the exercise revealed that some participants were experiencing symptoms they were not previously aware could be associated with their exposure to polluted air.
He said the experience further demonstrated the need for increased public awareness and sensitisation on air pollution.
Suleiman identified vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, bush burning and other human activities as major sources of air pollution.
He stressed that tackling the problem could not be left to government alone, saying communities, youths, market women, transport workers and other members of society must be actively involved.
“This whole responsibility is not on the government alone,” he said, urging Nigerians to take collective ownership of efforts to improve air quality.
Suleiman also highlighted the EcoGenius programme, an initiative established by the Save the Planet Initiative to engage young Nigerians in addressing environmental challenges.
He said the programme was founded on the belief that members of Generation Z were proactive, innovative and capable of contributing meaningful ideas to solving environmental problems.
According to him, the programme was launched with the support of the Lagos State Commissioner responsible for Youth and Social Development and is focused on mentoring students across higher institutions in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the initiative had already attracted close to 1,000 members, with young environmental advocates currently undergoing training.
He said the programme was designed to prepare young Nigerians to assume leadership roles as environmental sustainability advocates.
The Minister, in his keynote address, also called on the private sector to invest in cleaner technologies, energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, responsible waste management and low-emission production systems.
He urged civil society and community organisations to continue raising awareness, engaging citizens, advocating stronger action and holding institutions accountable.
Research and academic institutions, he said, must continue generating the knowledge and innovation needed to confront emerging environmental challenges.
He also called on the media to help translate complex scientific information into messages that citizens could understand and act upon.
The Minister further urged Nigerians, particularly young people, not to remain mere recipients of environmental policies but to become partners, innovators and champions of a cleaner future.
Lawal called on stakeholders to make the 2026 commemoration a turning point in Nigeria’s efforts to address air pollution.
“Let this year’s commemoration be more than another annual event. Let it be a turning point. Let it renew our determination to make clean air an integral part of Nigeria’s environmental health and development agenda,” he said.
He called for cities where economic activities and environmental responsibility could go hand in hand, industries that produce without poisoning the environment, wider access to clean energy and transportation systems that move people without compromising the air they breathe.
Suleiman, while appreciating the Federal Ministry of Environment for its efforts towards advancing air pollution mitigation in Nigeria, said greater attention must be given to creating systems that enable Nigerians to adapt to and reduce exposure to polluted environments.
Both the government and environmental experts stressed the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies, private organisations, communities, researchers, youths, civil society organisations and the media to achieve meaningful improvements in Nigeria’s air quality.
The Minister said clean air had no political, religious, geographical or social boundaries, describing it as a common resource and a shared responsibility.
“If we act together, we can build a Nigeria where the skies are not only blue over us, but blue above our cities; where clean air is not only a privilege of the few, but a reality for all; and where development is measured not only by what we do, but also by the quality of life we create,” he said.
