Follow Us on Google
By Vivian Onyebukwa
To create more awareness about air pollution, a group of researchers from the University of Lagos, Akoka, organized a workshop in Lagos in partnership with the RENACLIP Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization whose interest is awareness sensitization on pollution-free environments. The African Technology and Engineering Network (AFRITECH) sponsored the workshop.
The workshop was to co-design and co-create solutions to air pollution in Lagos State. The team lead, Dr. Rose Alani, an Associate Professor of Chemistry from the University of Lagos, said that the essence of the awareness creation was for the participants to understand more of what was happening and also let them know that they wanted to work together because they could not do it alone. “We are just researchers; we need the community members we will use as citizen scientists. So first of all, they have to understand what we are doing and be able to embrace it willingly.
Dr. Okwong John Walter from the University of Lagos and a team member described the workshop as a collaborative workshop for the participants. “It’s about getting information from the members of the communities of interest on safe places to install air quality devices. He said that at the end of the workshop, through the participants, about 40 new safe places were identified to install air sensors.
Also speaking, another member of the team, Dr. Selina Ogah, added that with the workshop, the group succeeded in getting representatives of the slum and grassroots communities to raise awareness about air quality. “We want to let them know about the importance of air quality and ways to reduce air pollutants. We believe that at the end of the day, they will go back and impact their communities and create more awareness for those we have not been able to reach. With that, we believe that with time, the air quality in the communities, the country, and the world at large will improve.”
Titilope Gbemisola Akosa, the Executive Director of the Centre for 21st Century Issues, made the participants understand the effect of air pollution on their health. She said, “It is also very important that they know the kinds of activities that pollute the air so that they can refrain from those activities as much as possible, and then they will be able to take care of their own physical health.” Akosa stated that the workshop was a significant opportunity for many people to learn new things, especially about the types of plastic they use, how burning plastic can pollute the air, and how other wastes, like food waste and landfill sites, can also pollute the air. She emphasized that these pollutants can enter their bodies and cause illnesses such as cancer and respiratory diseases, as well as aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions. Therefore, it is crucial for people to be aware of these issues in order to live a healthy life.
A member of the RENACLIP Foundation, Okwuchi Iniabasi-Essien, described the turnout at the workshop as fantastic and the participation was highly active. On what was achieved at the workshop, Iniabasi-Essien said, “We had robust conversations amongst the participants where they were able to come up with locations where we would set up air monitoring devices to be able to monitor the quality of the air, and then come up with different ways where we can create awareness with our people. What I particularly like about today is that the participants are from the grassroots and community leaders, such as the Baale from the Ikorodu community. Everybody spoke from experience, as they knew that this is targeted at whatever we do to preserve the quality of the air. It is to give longevity of life to everybody.”
Also speaking, Bimbo Esther Osobe, President, Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, Affiliate of Slum Dwellers International, stated that the organization has been creating awareness on air quality, saying, “I spoke on how we can improve air quality in the communities, and this is what we have been doing in our communities, sensitizing our people, and equally, making them know the usefulness of quality air to them as individuals. We co-learn from people, and we tell them what we, too have that they can learn from, and it has been of very great importance.”.
In his assessment, the Baale of Ajegunle Community, Ikorodu, Chief Moyosola Oladujoye, described the workshop as a good one. “We need more of it, more enlightenment, because a lot of things are happening in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole, most especially in the slum areas. With that, I as the head of the community, is ready to assist in my own community in whatever way they want me to do.”
The Baale advised the government to hasten up any ongoing projects to avoid air pollution.
Some of the identified areas to mount the monitoring devices include Ikorodu, Apapa, and Yaba, among others.
