The Lagos State Government in partnership with the US Consulate General, has held an advocacy walk/interactive session against air pollution and also charged residents to be more responsible to their environment for improved air quality in the state.
Speaking on the importance of the walk which was titled “ Eko For Clean Air”, the acting Consulate- General, Lagos, Mr. Bradon Hudspeth reiterated the need for aggressive campaign to create more awareness on air pollution and further enlighten Lagos residents about the vulnerability of the environment and consequences inherent in unfriendly activities against nature.
According to him, the U.S Government is partnering Lagos State Government in other to ensure clean and better air quality, revealing that the state would be supported with technical expertise to raise awareness, monitor air quality and also use collated data from monitoring to boost the economy of the state.
In his paper presentation, during an interactive session after the advocacy walk, titled Our Health, Our Air Quality, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi hinted that seven million people died of air pollution across the world in 2019, hence, the need for improved air quality and friendly lifestyles.
”What we are trying to achieve here is good health. While the initiative is being driven through the Ministry of Environment, and its agency – LASEPA, who will regulate air quality, water quality, noise pollution, as the ultimate impact of bad air or bad water or excessive stress is poor health.
”When you breathe in polluted air, the pollutants go from your lungs into your bloodstream, and from your bloodstream to every part of your body, and earnestly degrades your health.
The more we take care of our environment, the less we need to spend on our health care system. ” He said.
According to him, research has shown that the air quality in Nigeria and in Lagos is below standard.
He enjoined the public to comply with all environmental guidelines and laws in order to spend less on medical care and also bequeath a safe and healthy society to generations yet unborn.
The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency(LASEPA), Dr Dolapo Fasawe,
said that the agency had been creating awareness on the issue of air pollution and charging residents to adopt a more friendly practices devoid of all forms of environmental degradations so as to promote a clean, safe and healthy environment.
“We continuously carry out advocacy and public education on various environmental issues across the various strata of the population. Our youth are engage to adopt a more sustainable lifestyles and champion environmental courses, through our school advocacy program. More zonal offices were also created to meet varied challenges confronting the state. Collectively we can win the battle against pollution” Fasawe said
She listed measures to curb the tide of air pollution in the state to include; planting of trees to create more green areas, using only eco-friendly products, stopping open burning of refuse, regular servicing vehicles and generators, needed to tackle air pollution, to include, tree planting, servicing of vehicles and generators, using alternate mode of transportation (water ways/rails and practicing carpooling as well as reducing burning of fossil fuel (switching to gas, embracing renewable energy amongst others.
On his part, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, announced that the agency has been collaborating with relevant authorities, including the Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, and the Nigeria Customs, to curb the tide of vehicular emissions
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