Lagos losing $5.8 billion yearly to air pollution: World Bank

The World Bank has revealed that the Lagos State government loses $5.8 billion yearly to air pollution, Particulate Matter (PM 2.5).
In a report, the bank detailed that PM 2.5 air pollution was costing Lagos between $3.1 billion to $5.8 billion, about 8.1 per cent of the state GDP yearly.
The bank said it derived its projection by using “the value of a statistical life (VSL) approach, which considers how much society is willing to pay to reduce a small risk of death, the costs are estimated at US$3.1–5.8 billion (4.2 to 8.1 percent of Lagos’ GDP).”
It said the economic costs of lead aerosol exposure in Ikorodu are estimated to be between $300-600 million per year, costing between $400-600 for every resident of that LGA.
The report also projected that the state would lose about US$1.2-2.3 billion per year if the human capital method is used to value the state’s losses from PM2.5 pollution.
The method essentially values a life at the time of death equal to the amount that a person could earn over his or her remaining life.
Exposure to PM2.5 pollution, according to the bank, is a serious but preventable public health hazard that is especially dangerous for children under the age of five.
“In Lagos, PM2.5 exposure is estimated to cause between 16,000 and 30,000 premature deaths per year, with about half of these being infants under 1 year.
“Air pollution is also estimated to cause 180,000 to 350,000 acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) per year, primarily cases of pneumonia in children under 5,” the report added.
PM2.5 is an air pollutant that poses a health risk when levels in the air are high. When levels are high, tiny particles in the air reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

States
Insecurity: ONSA certifies training of 500 forest guards in Edo
He said the initiative is a component of the federal government’s efforts to combat terrorism and banditry by training well-equipped forest guards.

Health
Court dismisses stay of execution plea by MD of Enugu FNH
Justice Emmanuel Subilim, in a ruling, also ordered the immediate reinstatement of Monday Igwe to complete his tenure as MD.

States
Rivers pushes restorative justice to decongest prisons
She said the measures were vital to reducing prison congestion and speeding up the criminal justice process.

NationWide
German agency urges dialogue, human rights protection to deepen Nigeria’s democracy
“The destiny of a diverse society is not written by its differences, but by the choices we make together about how we live with them,” he said.

Lagos
Lagos council launches interest-free loan scheme for farmers, small business owners
The scheme covers loans ranging from N50,000 to N5 million, with the council chairman undertaking to pay the nine per cent interest on behalf of beneficiaries.

Sport
Bayelsa names Abdul Maikaba as United FC coach, targets premier league return
Mr Maikaba will be assisted by fellow experienced coach Ngozi Elechi.





