Air pollution and solid waste: promoting green and resilient recovery in Nigeria

Air pollution has posed a serious health challenge for both developed and developing countries. Through the Paris agreement, countries have developed actions toward net zero carbon emissions. However, developing countries are being confronted with other environmental challenges which seem to make the path to green recovery unrealizable. This scoping literature review examines air pollution and solid waste issues in Nigeria with the view of promoting green and resilient recovery. The review reveals that, there is high dependence on biomass for cooking, and cooking smoke has exposed more than 120 million people to health risks linked to respiratory tract infection, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, coughing, eye irritation, etc. More so, rapid population growth and the continuous reliance on forest wood for cooking have not only resulted in environmental degradation and deforestation of forest reserves but have increased the challenge of air pollution. Furthermore, solid waste management remains intractable in most Nigerian cities despite the efforts of various state governments. Government policy on solid waste management seems not to be comprehensive as often the contribution of the informal sector, which is the most active player in waste collection, disposal, and recycling is excluded. While it is worrisome that solid waste volumes outweigh the capacity of urban managers with obvious implications on well-being, there are greater opportunities for waste to energy solutions. Nevertheless, available disposal strategies lack the technological capacity to explore engineering solutions for waste management. Therefore, there is a need to promote green recovery through engineering solutions which will ensure the transition to a climate compatible environment that is inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.