Lagos lost 22,500 children to air pollution in 2021 – LASEPA

By Fatima Saka

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has estimated that 22,500 children died from air pollution in the state in 2021.
General manager of LASEPA, Dolapo Fasawe disclosed this over the weekend in Lagos on the sidelines of the official kick-off ceremony for the ‘EKO Clean Air’ project.

Speaking on, the general manager stated that the figure was 75 percent of 30,000 people who died in 2021 in the state due to the bad environment.

Ms Fasawe said the figures were derived from a report which recorded the impact of air pollution on the health of residents. 
“Eko for Clean Air is preaching prosperity, good health, increased GDP and increased productivity for the people of Lagos state. We are currently in Itedo community, and the response has been mind-blowing. 
We did air quality study before this intervention, and we also did something called the K-A-P: knowledge, attitude and practices, and we realised that a lot of persons did not know the effects of air pollution on health,” she explained.
She added, “As you can see, the government is teaching the people the practice of waste to wealth by buying the plastic waste, e-waste and used oils from them, thus putting money in their pocket,” the LASEPA boss stressed.
Ms Fasawe also mentioned that LASEPA would return to the community in four weeks to measure the air quality and ascertain their compliance with the practice already established.
“If they had listened to us, and they are practising what we have taught them, the air will be cleaner. We will not stop to see plastic bottles on the road because Lagos state is living behind a permanent plastic recycler in this community,” stated Ms Fasawe.
She added, “Every day, bring your plastic and you will be paid right there for used plastic.”