Department of
Sociology; Department of Geography; College
of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Department
of Geography College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi, Benue
State, Nigeria.
Edited by Sociology Dept of Martins Library
Abstract
The paper
set out to examine the issue of environmental pollution and its attendant
consequences on the Nigerian society. In doing so, the paper has on the basis
of personal observation and secondary sources examined the effects of
environmental pollution in Nigeria. The findings show that environmental
problems in Nigeria generally are many, diverse in nature, and are caused by
man’s interaction with nature (environment) for exploits in a number of
ways-both in the cities; where industrial activities predominate, and rural
areas; where agriculture thrives. The paper posits that man utilizes air for
survival, harnesses land and water resources for domestic, commercial,
industrial, agricultural and other purposes. Through these activities; man
directly and/or indirectly creates problems which are detrimental to his
health/survival, well being, natural existence and stability. The paper
observes that these problems are a consequence of environmental pollution which
also degenerates into environmental degradation and several other hazards such
as widespread epidemics, depletion of natural habitats, and thus; impede the
socio-economic development of Nigeria as a nation. The paper recommends
awareness creation and change in attitudes for effective environmental and
resources management strategies as a way forward.
Introduction
It
has been observed in recent times that the role the environment play to a
nation‟s development process can not be relegated to the background. Apart from
being the physical surrounding for natural habitats, the environment provide
the basis for human exploits for agricultural, industrial, commercial,
technological and tourism development of a society. For this and several other
reasons, environmental issues now occupy a centre stage in academic discourse
and other public fora both at the national and international levels. Recorded
evidence has also shown that the environment represents a wide range of the
external circumstances, conditions and the things that affect the existence and
development of an individual, organism, group (Isaichei 1999) and/or society.
In
Nigeria for instance, environmental issues did not gain official prominence
until the 1988 Koko toxic waste dumping saga which also brought to the fore the
exigent need to establish the Nigeria Federal Environmental Protection Agency
(FEPA), Federal Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies, ostensibly
to tackle environmentally related issues, in the country. These include issues
such as environmental pollution, sanitation, depletion of ozone layer,
desertification, flooding, erosion, poverty, bush burning, deforestation, soil conservation
etc. All these mentioned above are a pointer to the fact that issues of
environment and infact environmental pollution which forms the basis of this
paper has taken a centre stage in the nation‟s (Nigeria‟s) development process.
Environmentally
minded scholars: Ocheri (2003:174), Gbehe (2004), and Aja (2005:114) have
associated environmental pollution with human activities and albeit persistent
human interaction with the environment. Research has also shown that as the
population of a country grows/increases with attendant pressure on the
environment especially in the wake of improved technologies, environmental
abuse and pollution is nevertheless heightened with corresponding effects on
lives of people and other living organisms, (Ocheri, 2003: 175 and Hausers,
1971). It has been observed further that man through industrial, agricultural
and the ever increasing urbanization process, security and terrorist activities
tend to directly and/or indirectly pollute the environment. Jande (2005) and
Aja (2005:114) in their separate observations, also in tandem with the
foregoing agree that unrestricted use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, excreta and animal dung as well as
spillages from refineries, large scale bush burning etc are perceived as some
of the leading factors of environmental pollution in Nigeria. Structurally
therefore, the paper is divided into sections. Following this section
(introduction) is section 2, and it dwells on conceptual clarification of
environmental pollution. Section 3 discusses the theoretical framework, section
4 is environmental pollution in Nigeria and its attendant consequences on
humans life, organisms and the country Nigeria, and section 5 is the need for
awareness creation for sustainable development.
Conceptual clarification
Environment:
There have been different definitions of the concept of „environment‟ proferred
by different scholars and organized bodies/agencies. However, from whatever
angle one perceives the term; „environment‟, it simply depicts what surrounds
us. To Hagget (1975), cited in Anijah – Obi (2001), environment refers to the
“sum total of all conditions that surround man at any point in time on the
earths surface”. According to Miller (1975), the term „environment‟ could be
perceived as “the aggregate of external conditions that influence the life of
an individual or population, specifically the life of man and other living
organisms on the earth‟s surface”. The Federal Environmental protection Agency
(FEPA) Act of 1990, under section 38 also gave a very lucid definition of
environment, thus;
Environment
includes water, air, land and all plants and human beings and/or animals living
there in and the inter-relationships which exist among these or any of them.
From
the above definitions, the term „environment‟ comprises land, air, water and
all the physical structures surrounding us. In this paper therefore, the
concept „environment‟ refers to the „totality of space, time and socio-cultural
settings of man and other living organisms therein.
Pollution: the term pollution is a derivation of the word
pollute-which means, to make something dirty or no longer pure, especially by
adding harmful or unpleasant substances to it.
In
another development; the committee on pollution of the United States National
Research Council (1965) defined pollution as;
An undesirable change in physical,
chemical or biological characteristics of our air, land and water that may or will
harmfully affect human life or that of other desirable species, our industrial
processes, and living conditions cultural assets that may or will waste or
deteriorate our raw material resources.
Pollution
according to the above definition is a disorder within an environment and is a
by-product of energy conversion and the use of resources. Ekuri and Eze (1999)
accordingly, defined pollution as “a contamination, a defilement, mischief,
perturbation and reduction in the value of an object or thing”. Relatedly,
Jande (2005:4) describes the term – Pollution‟ to mean “to make something dirty
or no longer pure, especially by adding harmful or unpleasant substances to
it”. In this paper therefore, the concept, “Pollution‟ is used to refer to a
situation where waste-materials and/or harmful substances which can deplete,
wear/tear away and affect the entire environment and cause disorderliness to
all living organisms.
Furthermore, environmentally minded persons are of the
opinion that human activities as well as natural disasters on the environment
can pollute the environment beyond reasonable doubts. Recorded evidence has
also shown that continuous pollution of the environment leads to environmental
regression and/or diminution (Anijah Obi, 2001, Gbehe 2004 & Ocheri
2003:175).
In
this paper therefore, environmental pollution is used to mean “an undesirable
change in the environment through harmful substances; waste materials and
resources, caused by man‟s activity or natural disaster which also results to the
degradation of the environment with its attendant consequences on biodiversity.
Theoretical
Framework: An ecological perspective of change and development:
The perspective is associated with the works of
Wilkinson and Boulding (1973). The theory is concerned with issues of change
and development in contemporary societies, especially as they relate to
environmental changes and/or ecologically related trends of population growth
and the need to devise and sort out techniques of tackling development problems.
The theory states that, as the population of a society increases in size,
individual members of the society exert more pressure on scarce available
resources such as land and other natural endowments for survival. They directly
or indirectly carryout socio-economic activities that pollute the
environment/society, and further cause harm (degradation) to the
environment/society. The socio-economic activities, according to these
theorists include subsistence agricultural activities of people in agrarian
societies of Africa, Latin America etc and the commercial and industrial
activities of people in Urban-industrialized societies of the western-Europe
and North America.
The
perspective further argued that development is needed when a society out grow
its resource base and productive system. The perspective therefore posits that
as the established economic system of a given environment/society is proved
inadequate and productive system becomes more problematic, societies are
therefore driven to change their methods. For instance, as the population of a
society outgrows the available resources, especially in agrarian societies,
people are forced to migrate to urban centres/cities in search of job
opportunities. Some sell their labour, whereas some engage in several other
commercial and agricultural investments such as livestocks; some still carry out
some technical and entrepreneurial businesses – all for survival.
The urban and city dwellers establish and carryout
industrial activities that equally pollute the society. Wilkinson and Boulding
conclude that these activities directly and/or indirectly pollute the
environment with its attendant consequences on biodiversity.
Consequences
of Environmental Pollution in Nigeria
Environmental
pollution is a challenge in most developed societies of the world; contemporary
societies of Africa and Nigeria in particular also grapple with and or/tackle
this menace in recent times. Our analysis of the negative impact of
environmental pollution in contemporary Nigeria society would focus
specifically on; agricultural and Hunting activities of the agrarian people,
industrial activities of the urban based, Noise pollution, Housing, conflict
and warfare.
Agricultural
and Hunting Activities
The agricultural and hunting activities of farmers in
Nigeria have far reaching effects on the environment and human health. The
farmers do this by altering the lithospheric and atmospheric pathways of the
hydrologic cycle, thus impacting negatively on the air, soil and water
substances mostly used by man/biodiversity. Empirical evidence has shown that
primitive farmers use fire to clear parcels of farm land, modify the soil by
ploughing, alter the drainage by irrigation and introduce or breed new animals and
crops. These activities no doubt alter the natural vegetation of the
environment. Kelvin and Lewis (1994) posit that “in recent times, humans have
destroyed enormous tracts of natural vegetation, excavated large areas of land,
greatly modified the landscape, and even created new lands. The economic
importance of vegetation to mankind can not be under estimated. Apart from the
fact that it serves as a primary source of food to man, its provision of
resource base to the building, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries and
as a fuel is in exhaustive.
Consequently,
the use and misuse of fire to clear land which sometimes could be used to help
improve the quality of the soil in arid regions through adding fresh organic
materials, experts noted, causes a reduction in natural vegetation. It also
threatens wildlife, human‟s life and property as well (Ayia, 2009).
The use of fire to clear land either for farming
and/or hunting activities produces secondary problems associated with the
clearance of vegetation, such as erosions by wind and water and flooding.
Continuous and frequent burning often reduces the capability of an area to
regenerate itself and to replenish its natural vegetation, inflict the
atmosphere with severe pollutants, thus endangering life and property as well
as threatening the very survival of the environment, (Idris, 2008) in Ayia (2009:74).
The simple fact is, whatever reason one may adduce for indulging in the act of
bush burning and/or farming or hunting activities, it is submitted that the
practice/act is most unacceptable in contemporary times and must be discouraged
with all vehemence. More so, that its consequences far out weighs its
advantages. This practice is mostly common among the rural farmers in the
Northern and North-central region of Nigeria.
Livestock
farming, popularly referred to as domestication of animals which is commonly
practiced in the Northern and North central regions of Nigeria also has a major
polluting impact on the land surface. Heavy grazing of cattle leads to
trampling and compaction of the soil, thus reducing its capacity to hold water
and alters its structure at the same time. This leads to soil erosion by wind
and water. Although, grazing may have positive effects on the land because the
animals provides feaces, a natural fertilizer rich in nitrates and several
other nutrients. These feaces are sometimes washed into the streams and rivers
during rainy seasons which serve as sources of drinking water for most farmers
in the rural areas and thus, constitute health hazards-outbreaks of cholera,
etc.
Similarly,
the rate at which our forests resources are depleting is alarming. This
deliberate removal of forest to create new agricultural land and/or for other
purposes deprive us of the wealth of diversity and the potential use of many of
their unique biological compounds often of great medical value. This act also
upsets the nutrient cycles, especially the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles of
which trees form an important component. It also scare wildlife. Deforestation
may increase water flow over the land‟s surface, as rain will fall directly to
the ground, no longer being impeded by the vegetational cover. This practice
may lead to an increase in the magnitude and frequency of flooding, soil
erosion increased sediment loads in rivers, slopes instability, and degradation
of adjacent lands. Examples include forest clearing in southern, western and
eastern Nigeria, clearing of tropical rainforest in Colombia, the destruction
of rain forest in Madagascar etc. Forest clearing leads to vegetational removal
which increases infertility of land and subsequently desertification (Raven et
al, 1998).
Rural farmers sometimes out of ignorance over
fertilize their farms because they are not aware of the nutrient content of the
soil upon which they farm. This practice also damage the soil tops and result
to poor yields. In another development, indiscriminate use of profilegate
pesticide against pests and mosquitoes by farmers and households has caused
serious problems. Many pesticides move through the air, water and soil and bio
accumulate or bio concentrate in food chains leading to serious ecological and
human health problems.
Hunting is also one of the human activities that often
result to bush burning and the use of chemicals in our streams, rivers and seas
in search of game. In most general sense, hunting is the pursuit of a target.
It is commonly applied to the practice of pursuing animals to capture or kill
them for sports, food, or trade in their products. Animals so hunted are
referred to as game animals. Hunting is also done to control varmint
populations or a wild life management to reduce animal population which have
exceeded the capacity of their range or when individual animals have become a
danger to humans. Some times they are captured and kept in zoos and wildlife
parks for tourist activities and cultural carnivals. Various devices are used
to capture and kill the animals. Many hunters use dogs, traps, spears, arrows,
guns, knifes etc. Plants, animals, including fish and birds are hunted for by
man. The methods employed create a lot of negative impacts on the environment.
For instance, bush burning which is common in the tropics – is a device used by
hunters to drive animals to advantage locations. The rural Tiv people of North
central Nigeria use this device to hunt for rats and other animals. The result
of this is that sometimes it destroys lives and property, especially when the
fire is out of control. Smokes from the fire (bush burning) also contaminates
the air, land and water. Many habitats are also destroyed. Moreover as plants
and animals are destroyed the ecosystem is generally upset. Fish hunting has
made the water-streams, rivers and sea environments to be heavily polluted, due
to the use of dangerous chemicals.
Industrial
activities
Just
as Gbehe (2004) pointed out, the causes of most environmental challenges take
their origins in the developmental process or in its failure and inadequacies.
As human societies continue to change from traditionalism to modernism with
rapid technological advancement and increasing industrial production to satisfy
growing human needs and comforts to improve civilization, new life styles and
increased production activities have created unexpected industrial pollution.
The environment is highly polluted in the process of
execution, processing and disposal of minerals. Mining is a process which
involves the selective recovery of specific minerals from the earth crust for
the benefit of mankind. Two basic methods are used. They are surface and
underground mining which cause damage to the land and, the processing and
disposal of minerals pollute the soil and water. In Nigerian cities; such as
Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan, Kano, Port Harcourt, Benin, Warri, Kaduna,
Yandev-Gboko-where these activities dominate, industries inject into the air
pollutants that deplete the ozone layer. In the Niger Delta area to be
specific, most oil spills come from vessels or involves pipelines, oil terminal
and bulk storage facilities which are sometimes caused by accidental or
deliberate sabotage.
The
blow out of offshore oil and gas wells, the dumping of drilling muds and oil
soaked waste, the destruction of frilling rigs are major sources of water
pollution in these areas. Water pollution kill fishes and other aquatic
animals/organisms (Raven et al, 1998).
Different water borne diseases also occur. Others are
epidemic, dysentery, typhoid etc. Corporation fumes, such as carbon dioxide,
sulphur oxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide etc are emitted as a result of
incomplete combustion of fuel and other carbon containing substances in
exhausts pipes and plants. The adverse effect of the plants and machines
produces objectable odour, causes impairment of mental function and foetal
development and aggravation of cardiovascular diseases. Gas flaring in the oil
exploitation zones reduces the quality of the air in the environment.
Dynamite
used for mining causes pollution as it produces noxious fumes that cause
sensation and irritation to the eyes, and when inhaled can cause suffocation
and lung diseases (Nobel, 1990).
Animal
health may also be in danger when they feed on plants covered by toxic
particles such as fluorine. Air pollution affects vegetation when surphur
dioxide enter the plants through stomata pores leading to the destruction of
chlorophyll and disruption of photosynthesis in plants. Gases, like
carbondioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc cause green house effect.
Noise
pollution
Noise
pollution can best be described as unwanted sound caused by human activities in
our societies. Simply put; noise could be any loud sound. It becomes a
pollutant when it is unpleasant, and could be disturbing to humans and the
public. In contemporary times, industrial activities of people in construction
industries, recording studios, air and sea ports, transportation firms, in
towns and cities specifically-Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Port
Harcourt, Benin, Ibadan etc have not just caused noise pollution but have
worsened the bad case of the already polluted environment in affected areas.
Similarly the proliferation of religious houses and
places of worship with amplified loud speakers produce unpleasant noise especially
when they are shouting at their loudest voices to the discomfort of every
resident within 2km radius. Sometimes as early as 3 – 4 am, 4 – 5am when most
residents are still sleeping – worshipers disturb the public in the name of
prayers. These acts are mostly common in mosques and the new generational
churches.
Relatedly,
the use of loud horns of motorists/vehicles, heavy duty, trains, etc at their
loudest level in towns and cities is another disturbing issue of noise
pollution. In a similar vein, due to the challenges faced from the public power
supply-generating sets from individual residents and business firms make a hell
of noise, thus, causing disturbance to the public. Irrespective of the devastations caused by
noise pollution, the subject matter has not been given scholarly attention.
Nyakuma (2002) pointed out that the world seem to ignore the effects, to the
extent that when issues of pollution are discussed at world environmental
conferences and seminars, noise pollution is given very little cognizance.
Research
has however shown that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an
industrial noise limit of 75 Decibels (dB) so, much that any sound level above
75 dB is already a pollutant. Nevertheless in dance halls, recording centres,
air ports, rail terminals etc. noise is normally heard above 115 dB sound level
that must be avoided. This has to be avoided because, at this level, short or
long term effects alike that can cause damage to the tympanic membrane – the
ear drum is likely to occur. This may either be injurious to the ear or lead to
lost of hearing ability – which may result to deafness to the affected members
of the society.
Housing
Housing
is one of the basic needs of humans. Like food and clothing, housing is a basic
human requirement, (Onokerhoraye & Omuta, 1994). These scholars have
accordingly, stated that the provision of good housing not only have profound
influence on the health, efficiency and well being of members of a community
and/or society but the entire community and society at large. It has been
observed therefore that unplanned housing projects with inadequate sewage
system constitute a major source of water pollution in Nigeria, especially in
urban environments. Emphasis is on urban areas because, urban centres have a
greater concentration of people in one area. Gbehe (2004:6), citing Inyang
(1978) stated that “the greater the concentration of people, the greater the
amount of pollution; and the greater the sophistication of a society the more
intricate and poignant its pollution”.
It
is on record that sewage and waste products are discharged into water bodies,
scientific evidence has also shown that residents in many instances delight in
defecating on the ground surface, sometimes directly into nearby streams (Gbehe
2004:7) and/or water channels. They also liter the environment with polythene
bags, empties of caned foods and drinks, sachet-water bags and so on. This
development combined with solid waters generated in households which are also
dunped in water channels, streams and rivers in some cases blocked the courses
of these channels, streams and rivers resulting to flooding. In the early month
(2012) flooding in Lagos rendered most residents in some parts of Victoria
Island Ajegunle etc in Lagos-homeless. Similarly, in Taraba State, a suspension
bridge had to be stretched across river Donga for commuters to pass through,
following the destruction of the bridge by flood in September 2011. also in
Benin city Okafor (1983),
Onokerhoraye
(1994) cited by Gbehe (2004) observed that the Ikpoba River which flows along
the fringe of the city was so polluted in certain portions of it that it may be
mistaken for a cesspool. In Benue State, flooding is said to be a perennial
problem that is prevalent in the lower plains of the Benue – Makurdi and
Katsina-Ala rivers. Empirical evidence has also shown that land use along these
flood plains has increased in recent times and floods tend to have destructive
effects on both farms as well as houses particularly in Makurdi town (Lyam
2002). The situation sometimes is pathetic as the affected population in the
flooding plains is mostly rural farmers who depend on subsistence agriculture.
The destructive effects on both farms and houses render the farmers into
pernicious situations of poverty and acute want. Similarly, the flooding also
results to increased siltation by the flood waters. This tends to affect much
of the acquatic life which gives a livelihood to the riverine communities.
Whereas flood prone areas in most cases are completely cut-off from towns
outside flood plains. In the flood plains of River Katsina-Ala especially along
the plains of Yoryor river in shikaan district of Shitile, apart from the
destruction of farms and causing inaccessibility to residential houses, School
children in the locality are completely denied access to the only L.G.E.A.
School, and Mbagena comprehensive college Shikaan. Moreso, that there has been
no bridge across the river. They only come to school during the off seasons of
rain.
In most cities and towns in Nigeria, solid wastes
generated by residents where not properly disposed constitute health hazards to
inhabitants and an obstruction to traffic by way of garbage heaps taking up
large portions of streets. These wastes also emit foul ordour to residents.
Conflicts,
Wars and the Environment
War
and conflict, impact negatively on the environment because they both cause a
lot of destruction to lives and property. The production of goods and services
is usually thwarted in situations of war and conflict. It also disrupt peace
and security which are the basic components of democracy and good governance
(Tyav, 2012). Moreover in localities where the environment is highly polluted
as a result of industrial waste, pollution and the emition of gases into the
air, the dumping of drilling muds/laterilitic sand and oil soaked waste etc
farm land/the soil is equally polluted and thus, become a scarce commodity
especially in agrarian societies where farming activities predominate. The
continuous search for farmland some times result to conflict and war among
members of the host communities. In Nigeria the Niger-Delta crisis and land
conflict among members of the host communities in Yandev-Gboko, where Benue
Cement Plc is located may serve as very good examples. In this way, different
communities engage in wars and human lives, animals and plants are destroyed.
Furthermore,
wars and conflicts expose our environments to grave threats of wide nuclear
explosions and radio active contamination and the use of biological and
chemical weapons. The civil war in Nigeria, the war in Liberia, Sundan, Angola,
Sierra-Leone, Rwanda-Burundi and the gulf-wars are some examples, the
destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan by America in 1943 during the
second world, is also a memorable example.
Conclusions
and Recommendations
Attempts
have been made to examine the phenomenon of environmental pollution and its
impact on human and biodiversity. To achieve this objective, the paper
clarifies key concepts such as: “environment”, “pollution” and the phrase;
“environmental pollution”. The paper adopts the ecological perspective of
change and development for understanding the phenomenon of environmental
pollution in Nigeria and its negative impact on people and society (human
beings and the ecosystem). It has been observed therefore that environmental
pollution in Nigeria is closely related to the productive activities of people
in both the urban and rural centres. As they carry out these activities, they
directly or indirectly pollute the society and/or environment with its
attendant consequences on biodiversity.
The
paper in view of the foregoing therefore, recommends awareness creation as the
way forward. Milligan (1997:121) had however observed that; environmental
awareness arises primarily to enable the individual understand how to relate
and apply the knowledge of environment to their actions and to the world around
him, and stated further that environmental awareness can be inhibited by the norms
established by the capitalist educational system and society at large.
Nevertheless, in dependent capitalist societies such as Nigeria, creating
environmental awareness to the teeming rural based population with low literacy
levels is the best option to curbing problems of environmental pollution. This
will be achieved by mounting and organizing workshops, conferences, seminars
etc to educate the public on how to manage, and improve on the relationship
between human society and the environment in an integrated and sustainable
manner. Emphasis should be laid on why we need to sustain the environment.
Pointing out too that human existence is predicated and as well, supported by
the environment. It is a two way approach, as we fail to sustain the
environment, the environment too will not sustain us.
·
Through radio,
television and other electronic media, the public should be informed on why it
is important to redeem the environment by replacing a felled tree with at least
other 10 stakes of trees.
·
Religions leaders
and heads of institution in our churches, mosques and institutions of learning
should admonish the faithful and the students on the need to redeem the
environment and possibly replace felled trees with several. It is important to
understand at this juncture that God Almighty knew the importance of vegetation
to mankind and thus created Adam and Eve and kept them in His Garden – Gen.
2:15 – 16.
·
Urban development
planners and related agencies of government should continue to sponsor jingles on
radio and television houses on why it is not proper to build houses on flood
areas.
·
Sanitary and bush
burning laws should be reinforced to apprehend and prosecute offenders.
·
A prompt
legislative framework should be put in place to make laws that would tackle
headlong issues of noise pollution in Nigerian.
·
Rural farmer
education on how to apply fertilizer and other related inputs should be
reemphasized to reduce health hazards involved.
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