The word “Africa” often evokes romantic images of elephants crossing the
\nKalahari, thundering water at Victoria Falls, or panoramic views from
\nTable Mountain.<\/p>\n
But an increasingly common sight for Africans — especially those in
\nNigeria — is that of smog, rubbish and polluted water, according to a new
\nreport.<\/p>\n
Four of the worst polluted cities in the world are in Nigeria, according
\nto data released by the World Health Organization (WHO).<\/p>\n
Onitsha — a city few outside Nigeria will have heard of — has the
\nundignified honor of being labeled the world’s most polluted city by air
\nquality.<\/p>\n
A booming port city in southern Nigeria, Onitsha recorded 30 times more
\nthan the WHO’s recommended levels of particulate matter concentration.<\/p>\n
Named and shamed<\/p>\n
The other three cities named and shamed in the WHO report are the
\ntransport hub of Kaduna, in the north, which came fifth, followed by the
\ncities of Aba — in sixth place — and Umuahia, in 16th position, which
\nare both trade centers in southern Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Last year, the World Bank reported that 94% of the population in Nigeria
\nis exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines (compared to
\n72% on average in Sub-Saharan Africa in general) and air pollution damage
\ncosts about 1% post of Gross National Income.
\nWhy is Nigeria so polluted?<\/p>\n
The cause of Nigeria’s pollution problem is a complex story.<\/p>\n
“The contributing factors to pollution are a reliance on using solid fuels
\nfor cooking, burning waste and traffic pollution from very old cars,” Dr
\nMaria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and
\nSocial Determinants of Health, tells CNN.<\/p>\n
At home, due to unreliable electricity supplies, many Nigerians rely on
\ngenerators, which spew out noxious fumes often in unventilated areas.<\/p>\n
On the street, car emissions go unregulated.<\/p>\n
Neira adds: “In Africa, unfortunately, the levels of pollution are
\nincreasing because of rapid economic development and industry without the
\nright technology.”<\/p>\n
Indeed, Nigeria’s economy has raced forward in the past decade, overtaking
\nSouth Africa as the continent’s largest economy in 2014, following a
\nrecalculation of its GDP.<\/p>\n
Agriculture, telecoms and oil are all driving this growth — at a certain
\nenvironmental cost.
\nSteps towards a solution<\/p>\n
The latest WHO report may highlight Nigeria, but the true story in other
\nparts of the African continent remains unknown.<\/p>\n
The report only included pollution levels from cities with a population of
\nover 100,000 residents that monitor their pollution levels — something
\nmany African cities don’t do.<\/p>\n
“We need to do an assessment of the sources of pollution at city level,
\nalso work on better planning of urban collective transport systems, and
\ntake very old cars out of service,” says Neira.<\/p>\n
“Regarding the four cities in Nigeria, we would actually like to praise
\nthem. They are at least monitoring the pollution levels, others are not
\neven monitoring the air, we know that some are very polluted.<\/p>\n
“These four cities are moving towards taking action to reduce pollution.”<\/p>\n
With more than 50% of the world’s population predicted to live in African
\ncities by 2030, according to global accounting firm KPMG, the health of
\nthe continent’s urban areas is a key concern.<\/p>\n
CNN<\/p>\n
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