June 5 every year is recognized as World Environment Day. This year, environmental experts are sounding an alarm over what they describe as Nigeria’s deepening ecological crisis, warning that decades of environmental neglect are exacting a devastating toll on public health, livelihoods and the economy.
From the oil-polluted creeks of the Niger Delta to the sprawling dumpsites of Lagos and the advancing deserts of northern Nigeria, environmental degradation is no longer a distant threat. It is increasingly shaping how Nigerians live, work and survive.
As observed, the consequences are visible everywhere: worsening disease outbreaks, declining agricultural productivity, devastating floods, shrinking forests and growing food insecurity. More troubling, they argue, is that many of these challenges are the result of years of policy failures, weak regulation and poor enforcement of environmental laws.
World Environment Day, observed annually, serves as a global reminder of humanity’s responsibility to protect the planet from the escalating impacts of climate change. This year’s theme, “Climate Action,” championed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), carries the campaign message “Now for Climate,” telling the urgency of responding to the warning signs emerging across the globe.
For Nigeria, those warning signs are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
One of the country’s most persistent environmental challenges remains gas flaring. Despite being one of Africa’s largest producers of natural gas, Nigeria continues to rank among the world’s leading gas-flaring nations. Environmental assessments estimate that between 2002 and 2024, the country lost approximately $56.75 billion through gas flaring, while releasing more than 714 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere.
Satellite data from the World Bank showed that about 5.3 billion cubic metres of gas were flared in Nigeria in 2022 alone across 174 flare sites. Experts note that much of this wasted gas could have been converted into electricity, powered industries and created thousands of jobs.
Beyond the economic losses, communities in the Niger Delta continue to bear the health consequences of decades of oil pollution and gas flaring. Residents frequently report respiratory illnesses, contaminated water sources, acid rain and declining crop yields. Environmental and health experts warn that prolonged exposure to polluted air and water significantly increases the risk of cancers, respiratory diseases and water-borne infections.
The statistics are sobering. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria records one of the highest mortality rates linked to air pollution globally, with an estimated 175 deaths per 100,000 people associated with household and ambient air pollution.
In Lagos, the country’s commercial nerve centre, the environmental burden is equally severe. A World Bank study estimated that ambient air pollution contributed to about 11,200 premature deaths in 2018. The resulting economic losses from pollution-related illnesses and deaths were valued at roughly $2.1 billion, representing about 2.1 per cent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product.
Air pollution in Lagos is further aggravated by mounting waste management challenges. The city generates more than 13,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, much of which ends up in major dumpsites such as Olusosun, Solous and Ewu-Elepe. Environmental studies have shown that these facilities emit methane and other hazardous gases through decomposing waste and open burning activities.
Scientists warn that methane is more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat within the atmosphere, making unmanaged dumpsites significant contributors to climate change. Communities surrounding these facilities frequently report cases of asthma, chronic cough, skin infections and water contamination resulting from leachate seepage.
Repeated fire outbreaks at the Olusosun dumpsite have further heightened concerns over toxic smoke exposure and public safety, exposing nearby residents to dangerous air quality conditions.
The country’s forests are also disappearing at an alarming rate. Available data indicate that Nigeria loses between 350,000 and 400,000 hectares of forest annually, placing it among countries with the highest deforestation rates globally. Conservation experts estimate that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s original forest cover has already vanished due to illegal logging, agricultural expansion, urbanisation and dependence on fuelwood.
The environmental consequences are far-reaching. Shrinking forests accelerate desertification, worsen soil erosion, increase flooding and threaten biodiversity. While initiatives such as the Great Green Wall project have sought to reverse the trend, experts argue that poor funding, weak enforcement and encroachment on protected reserves continue to undermine progress.
Urban planning failures are compounding the crisis. Experts blame indiscriminate building approvals, poor drainage systems and the destruction of wetlands for worsening flood incidents in cities across the country. They warn that natural floodplains are increasingly being converted into residential and commercial developments without adequate environmental safeguards.
Particular concerns have been raised over attempts to convert parts of Jabi Lake in Abuja into residential developments. Urban planners argue that such projects undermine internationally accepted principles of sustainable city planning. They note that the lake plays a critical role in flood control, temperature regulation, biodiversity conservation and recreational activities within the Federal Capital Territory.
The effects of environmental degradation extend beyond ecosystems. Small businesses, farmers and informal traders are increasingly suffering losses caused by flooding, pollution and poor sanitation conditions. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns continue to threaten food production and rural livelihoods across the country.
Environmental activist and Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey, said environmental degradation has steadily poisoned the foundations of life.
According to him, oil spills, gas flaring, toxic waste, deforestation and pollution are undermining food systems, contaminating water sources and increasing the prevalence of diseases.
“Communities lose livelihoods as farmlands become barren, fisheries collapse and ecosystems that support local economies are destroyed. The result is a cycle of poverty, ill health, displacement and ecological injustice,” Bassey said.
He identified weak enforcement, corruption, political interference and regulatory capture as key reasons environmental violations persist despite existing laws.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Africa Water Development Project, Dr. Joachim Ezeji, described environmental degradation as one of Nigeria’s most significant public health threats.
He warned that pollution resulting from industrial activities, oil exploration and mining operations continues to increase healthcare costs, reduce labour productivity and deepen poverty in affected communities.
Ezeji advocated stricter enforcement of environmental regulations, improved compliance with Environmental Impact Assessments and greater investments in waste management infrastructure, recycling systems and sustainable transportation.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Governing Board of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), Chinedum Nwajiuba, lamented the growing prevalence of unregulated mining activities across the country.
He argued that environmental governance suffers from the same weaknesses affecting many sectors in Nigeria, particularly poor implementation and weak oversight.
Nwajiuba noted that many Nigerian cities once boasted extensive green spaces, parks and gardens, but these have increasingly given way to unchecked urban development and sprawling concrete structures.
His observation reflects a broader concern among environmental experts: Nigeria’s environmental crisis is no longer merely about conservation. It has become a public health emergency, an economic challenge and a development issue that threatens the country’s future.
As the world rallies behind climate action, experts insist that Nigeria must move beyond rhetoric and embrace decisive action. They argue that stronger environmental governance, investment in renewable energy, sustainable urban planning, ecological restoration and community-centred development are essential if the country hopes to reverse decades of damage.
