The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), a non-governmental and non-profit organization, has urged the Federal Government to address the rising menace of air pollution in the country.
The Senior Programme Officer of the centre, Mr. Amodu Lawal, said on Wednesday that such call was also part of its building on its engagement on the environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the need to highlight the challenge of air pollution at this time has become necessary, given the multifaceted consequences it comes with.
“Air is critical to human existence as without it there can be no life. Yet a polluted air has the capacity to unveil numerous health problem including respiratory diseases that have led to loss of several lives even in Nigeria,” Lawal said.
He noted that air pollution constitutes the largest among all of the environmental risks estimated to have resulted to 7 million death globally.
Saying that Nigeria ranks 4th deadliest globally with 150 deaths per 100,000 attributed to air pollution, Lawal said air pollution is a common feature in the Nigeria and particularly in the Niger Delta, where sooth and gas flaring is prevalent.
The statement also noted that a recent report on gas flaring has shown considerable increase against government determination to reduce the danger.
He said, “Air pollution is a big concern the world over. The respective peoples of the world including Nigerians can’t stop breathing due to the rampaging advent of air pollution and therefore it behooves on all stakeholders, governments, oil companies, communities and civil society organizations to work to reverse the phenomenon. This will no doubt help to improve our air quality and better impact on the lives of the peoples of the world.”
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