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By Vivian Onyebukwa
In other to create more awareness on air pollution, the Air Quality Monitoring Research Group of the University of Lagos, organised a workshop in Lagos.
It was sponsored by African Technology and Engineering network (AFRITECH), a group of research sponsors in Africa.
The workshop was in partnership with RENACLIP Foundation, an Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), whose interest is basically in environment, sensitising and creating awareness on how to preserve our environment whether it is the air, water, or the soil.
The aim of the workshop was to co-design and co-create the air quality monitoring program in Lagos, with those from the grassroots, and informal sector.
The Lead, Air Quality Monitoring Research Group of the University of Lagos, 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 is happening, and also let them know that they want to work together because they cannot do it alone. “We are just researchers, we need the community people whom we are going to use as citizen signs. So first of all they have to understand what we are doing and be able to embrace it so that willingly on their own, they will take the project as their own”.
The workshop was sponsored by African Technology and Engineering network (AFRITECH), a group of research sponsors in Africa.
Dr Okwong John Walter from the University of Lagos, and member, Air Quality Monitoring Group, University of Lagos, described the workshop as a corporation workshop for the participants. “It’s about we getting datas from the communities where locations of interest where the air quality monitoring device will be installed in those locations for data reference”.
Dr Okwong Walter noted that at the end of the workshop, they were able to get at least 40 locations of interest where they will go back to the drawing board to incorporate those censors.
Also speaking, another member of the team of Air Quality Monitoring Group, Dr Selina Ogah, added that with the workshop, the group succeeded in getting representatives of the slum and grassroots communities, to give them awareness about air quality. “We want to let them know about the importance of air quality and the adjustments and changes they can make to their lives to reduce air pollution. We believe that at the end of the day, they will go back and impart their communities and create more awareness to those we have not been able to reach. With that we believe that with time and much faster than when there is no awareness, 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, at the workshop made the participant to understand the effect of air pollution on their health. She said, “It is very important also that they know the kind of activities that pollute the air so that they can refrain from those activities as much as possible, then they will be able to take care of their own physical health”.
Akosa stated that the workshop was a big opportunity for a lot of people to hear new things, especially the kind of plastic they use, how plastic can pollute the air, how other wastes like food waste, dump site, can pollute the air, and how that can also get into their body and cause sicknesses like cancer, respiratory diseases, and also aggravate asthma and other respiratory sicknesses in their body. So it is really important for people to know this so they can live a healthy life”.
Member, RENACLIP Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Okwuchi Iniabasi-Essien, described the turnout as fantastic and the participation, 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 out 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 like particularly about today is that the participants are from the grassroots, such as business men, and community leaders such as the Bale from Ikorodu community. Every body spoke from the experience as they knew, that this is targeted to whatever we do to preserve the quality of the air. It is to give longevity of lives to everybody”.
Some of the identified areas to mount the monitoring devices include Ikorodu, Apapa, Yaba, among others.
Also speaking, Bimbo Esther Osobe, President, Nigerian Slum/ Informal Settlement Federation, Affiliate of Slum Dwellers International, stated that the organisation 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, sensitising 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 the very great importance”.
In his assessment, the Bale of Ajegunle Community, Ikorodu road, 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 whole, most especially at 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 Bale advised the government to hasten up any time they have road project to do, to avoid air pollution.
