Urban Air Pollution and its Effects on Health, Safety and the Environment in Nigeria: A Concise Review

Clean air is an important requirement for human health and wellbeing. In this paper, the impact of urban air pollution on human health, safety and the environment in Nigeria was critically examined. It was observed that most cities and metropolises in Nigeria are characterized by high levels of air pollutants particularly when compared to European Union (EU) standards for air quality. The findings are largely ascribed to various natural or anthropogenic activities such as open-air burning of wastes, combustion of fossil and solid fuels, car exhaust fumes, land clearing, mining, agriculture, cement production and utilization, among others. The long and short-term exposure to the high levels of air pollutants emitted from such activities pose significant risks to human health, safety and the environment in Nigeria. The review of the literature revealed that air pollutant largely accounts for the exacerbated or soaring cases of asthma, cancer, lung/respiratory diseases, other cardiovascular diseases, and eventually premature death in Nigeria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a critical plan of action for the promotion of clean air and sustainable utilization of fuel and energy materials that cause air pollution, which severely impacts air quality and human health, safety and the environment.