What a frightening story from the World Bank with its disclosure that at least 30,000 people die every year from pollution in Lagos.
The Washington-based bank revealed this in its blog through a piece titled: ‘Making Lagos a Pollution Free City: Solving the threat one solution at a time’.
The bank pointed out that pollution is a huge problem in many cities globally, including Lagos, which is notorious for its large population, high concentration of motor vehicles and industrial pollution.
The bank further said that an estimated 20 million people live on an area of less than 100 square kilometres in Lagos, which leads to a suffocating mix of air pollution, single-use plastic pollution and solid waste in the city’s streets causing respiratory problems, floodings and other illnesses among the locals.
According to the bank: “The causes of the pollution are many, and the pollution has many effects on the environment. It is estimated that at least 30,000 people die every year in Lagos due to pollution.
“Air pollution in 2020 in Lagos was responsible for over 30,000 premature deaths and more than half were infants of less than one year old.”
