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PhotoWaka Africa is
spreading awareness of vital
through their photo walks.
O
juelegba, the 2014 single from Nigerian’s
singer Ayodeji Balogun’s
(Wizkid) second studio album
has a catchy beat that could send anyone
into a feet-tapping and head-bobbing
frenzy.
In reality, the idyllic suburb area of
Ojuelegba which has inspired vintage
hits by Afrobeat King Fela Kuti, and
Wizkid, shares similar traits with popular
districts, streets and areas in Lagos:
pollution. The common sights of overfilled
dumpsters commonly left in reckless
abandon on road sides, toxic smoke
emitting from overused old vehicles, and
fumes from generator sets (which have
been the saving grace for Nigerians in
Nigeria lacking the basic supply of constant
electrical power) and machineries,
are ordinary sights on Nigerian streets.
These ordinary sights nonetheless, are
extraordinary agents polluting the environment
and resultantly causing residents
environmental health-related hazards.
Per a World Health Organization
report, “An estimated 7 million people
were killed by diseases related to indoor
and outdoor air pollution alone in 2012.”
In 2015, the Little Green Data Book 2015
indicated that 94% of the Nigerian population
was exposed to air pollution
levels (measured in PM2.5) exceeding
WHO guidelines.
Lagos, to some, sparks the image of
busy streets, fast money, and huge industries.
But the reality is, this fast-growing
city shelters some of the most dangerous
pollutants in the country. The
city’s over-populated numbers estimated
at 21 million, irresponsible disposal
of trash, and poor waste management
systems are factors contributing to the
36 @the
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