• Plans introduction of emission-reduction technologies
The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has declared a public health emergency over the rising incidence of pollution-linked diseases nationwide, citing growing evidence that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and combustion-engine pollution now pose a severe threat to public health.

The declaration was made in Abuja during a press briefing by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of EHCON, Dr Yakubu Baba, who warned that illnesses associated with air pollution now represent a greater long-term public health danger than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baba said findings from EHCON’s investigations, field surveillance and environmental intelligence revealed an alarming increase in environmentally induced diseases, surpassing the long-term public health impact of COVID-19. He identified major sources of pollution as fossil-fuel generators, heavy-duty vehicles, industrial machinery, marine engines, mining operations and activities within the petroleum sector.

He warned that Nigeria is facing a convergence of critical risk factors, including rising preventable deaths from pollution-induced illnesses, excessive dependence on combustion engines, weak emission controls in high-risk sectors, escalating healthcare costs and the steady loss of productive human capital.

According to him, failure to act decisively could overwhelm the country’s healthcare system and significantly undermine national development goals.

Baba noted that many affected Nigerians have never smoked or consumed alcohol, yet are increasingly being diagnosed with chronic and acute respiratory infections, environmentally induced cancers, cardiovascular diseases and systemic inflammatory conditions. He added that climate-change-driven increases in dust and particulate matter have further worsened air quality and health outcomes.

The registrar announced that the council has activated the National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (NERI-EPHIGGEL).

He explained that the initiative would be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies.

These include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), state Ministries of Environment, Environmental Protection Agencies and Local Government Environmental Health Departments.

He outlined key emergency measures to be rolled out, including intensified regulatory inspections of high-emission facilities and transport corridors, mandatory environmental public health compliance audits, enforcement of sanctions under the 2024 Environmental Health Practice Regulations and the introduction of emission-reduction technologies.

Baba also disclosed ongoing efforts to introduce mandatory emission testing for generators and heavy-duty vehicles, phased restrictions on highly polluting engines and strengthened environmental health surveillance through the deployment of over 70,000 Environmental Public Health Officers nationwide.

He emphasised that the emergency response aligns with the administration’s agenda on strengthening environmental public health governance and protecting citizens from preventable health risks.

Calling on government, industry players, communities and the media to support the initiative, Baba said tackling environmental-related diseases linked to greenhouse gas emissions was “not an exaggeration, but a necessity” to safeguard public health and ensure sustainable national development.