Tackling Air Pollution: Nairobi City's Efforts Showcased at Lagos Forum
Nairobi Air Quality Working Group participants during the closing ceremony at Lagos continental hotel / Source: AirQo.
By Dr. Jackline Lidubwi, August 24, 2024
The Nairobi Air Quality Working Group (N-AIR), a multidisciplinary network that fosters stakeholder collaboration for improved air quality in Nairobi city, participated in the 2024 CLEAN-Air Forum in Lagos, Nigeria. The event was held from July 8-12 and aimed to foster regional collaborations for air quality management in Africa. The event brought together practitioners dedicated to clean air initiatives across the continent, and participants engaged in knowledge exchange, promoted collaboration between local governments and emphasized the importance of sustained interventions to improve air quality in Africa.
This year’s event marked the second forum, following the inaugural CLEAN-Air workshop held in Kampala in 2023. Themed “Advancing Collaborations and Multi-Regional Partnerships for Clean Air Actions in African Cities,” the five-day event focused on addressing air pollution challenges in African urban centers while aligning with Sustainable Development Goals related to air quality.
The forum was organized by Lagos’ State government in partnership with AirQo, a pan-African research initiative based at Makerere University, and the University of Lagos. Over 80 policymakers from diverse African cities and countries attended, including the Nairobi Air Quality Working Group (N-AIR), an initiative of USAID’s Clean Air Catalyst program, which presented case studies on the sources and root causes of air pollution in Nairobi. Their insights contributed to identifying equitable solutions for cleaner air across the continent.
Maurice Kavai giving his remarks during the opening ceremony | Source: AirQo.
Policy Dialogue
On the first day of the Forum, participants focused on policy and the dialogue between the journalist and scientist communities.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Tunde Ajayi, General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), stated that the Forum was a powerful testament to collective efforts and collaborations around Africa for clean air and reiterated LASEPA’s commitment to tackling air pollution.
Maurice Kavai, Deputy Director of Climate Change and Air Quality Monitoring for Nairobi City County Government, emphasized the importance of mainstreaming and integrating the air quality conversation from the household level to policymakers. He stressed the need to produce clean air solutions and the need to push for broad acceptance and implementation of the suggested solutions.
Dr. Jackline Lidubwi training journalists at the workshop | Source: AirQo.
Journalist - Scientist Dialogue
The journalist-scientist dialogue helped journalists gain a better understanding of the scientific aspects of air pollution, including key sources of pollution, its impacts, and viable solutions.
Dr. Bolajoko Malomo from the University of Lagos emphasized the crucial role of the media in disseminating information. She urged journalists and other members of the media to collaborate with social scientists to broadly share information about air pollution and air quality.
Ivy Murgor, Air Quality Program Manager for World Resources Institute Nairobi also raised the need for journalists who are well-trained and knowledgeable about air pollution issues. She noted that such journalists would be effective in reporting about air quality issues to different publics and highlighted the success of the Clean Air Catalyst’s work in Nairobi as a case study in journalism training.
Victor Nthusi, Consulting Research Fellow at the Health Effects Institute spoke on the sources and impacts of air pollution. He made reference to a report by Nature Geo Science that singles out African air quality as dangerously low, making it a global concern. Nthusi emphasized the need for consistent communication and community engagement to eliminate air pollution, noting that the air we breathe is a commonwealth shared across the political, cultural, social and class divides.
During the Forum, journalists received hands-on training on reporting air pollution in Africa, conducted by Dr. Jackline Lidubwi from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. Journalists focused on generating a wide portfolio of story ideas, focusing on sources of air pollution and health impacts on the continent. Dr. Lidubwi also focused on training journalists on mapping the target audience for air pollution stories and led a peer review for story ideas generated during the training.
Participating journalists expressed their gratitude for the training and stated their resolve to report about air pollution in their cities.
Group photo of journalist and trainers in Lagos | Source: AirQo.
Participatory Air Quality Management
Day two of the Forum began with a strong call for participatory air quality management and increased transdisciplinary collaborations that would help redefine air quality strategies in Africa.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Engineer Bainomugisha, AirQo Lead, noted that the Lagos Forum aimed at taking stock of the progress made since the inaugural event in Kampala, as well as emphasizing the need to foster knowledge sharing and collaborations on air quality.
Dr. George Mwaniki, Head of Air Quality in Africa at the World Resources Institute, shared their experience with air quality successes in Nairobi. He highlighted the achievements of the Clean Air Catalyst in Nairobi in collaboration with the Nairobi Air Quality Working Group.
Dr. George Mwaniki Head of Air Quality, World Resources Institute | Source: AirQo
A parallel session highlighted the impact of air pollution on respiratory health in African cities, examining the link between ambient air pollution and respiratory health. Panelists presented findings on public health risks from pollution sources like traffic emissions and discussed current strategies to mitigate air pollution effects.
Prof. Nicholas Otienoh Oguge from GEOHealth Hub at the University of Nairobi, presented research findings on how exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) affects the respiratory health of school-aged children in Nairobi. A key finding from the research points to areas with high-density roads and industries experiencing higher PM2.5 concentrations, impacting children’s respiratory health. Interestingly, the research also revealed no significant spatial pattern in the air quality impacts on respiratory health, suggesting a relatively even distribution of respiratory health impacts across the studied region.
Prof. Nicholas Oguge, Principal Investigator Geo Health Hub Nairobi | Source: AirQo.
Dr. Paul Mwangi Njogu from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology presented a report on motorcycle emissions in Nairobi, highlighting that four-stroke motorcycle emissions are nearly equivalent to those of small cars. However, two-stroke motorcycles emit larger quantities of unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM), posing significant pollution challenges.
Dr. Paul Njogu Chair - Research and Data Committee, Nairobi Air Quality Group | Source: AirQo.
Data Ecosystem
On the third day of the Forum, Pallavi Pant, the Head of the Global Health Program at the Health Effects Institute, shared a video on the state of global air quality and Dr. Rose Alani, the project lead for the Air Quality Monitoring Research Group and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry in Lagos, presented a paper on "Stocktake in Lagos Initiatives." Her presentation highlighted scalable and effective data-based monitoring, modeling, and evaluation of clean air initiatives in East and West Africa and emphasized grassroots engagement in local languages.
Dr Rose Alani, Project Lead, Air Quality Monitoring Research Group, University of Lagos | Source: AirQo.
Dr. Nancy Chebichii from the Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) at the Kenya Medical Research Institute discussed the state-of-the-art gravimetric filter weighing and analysis lab. The lab enhances the capacity for air quality data collection by offering short courses for health practitioners. The Centre also fosters a community of practice for air quality management by offering a course in health communication and journalism that raises awareness of the health impacts of air pollution and trains Community Health Workers in the Community Household Air Pollution Prevention Program (#CHAP-PP) across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Nancy Chebichii, CLEAN-AIR(AFRICA) health systems strengthening Lead | Source: AirQo.
Grand Reception
The forum culminated in a grand reception at the Lagos Continental Hotel, where Professor Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, emphasized the university's commitment to supporting research, education, and community engagement for environmental sustainability and public health. "We believe that clean air is a fundamental right, and we must work together to ensure that future generations inherit a healthier and more sustainable environment," she stated.
Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, the County Executive Committee Member of Green Nairobi, Nairobi City County Government, presented a case study on Nairobi's multi-stakeholder and integrated efforts to tackle air pollution and health issues. He discussed the ongoing collaboration with national agencies through N-Air to address transport emissions and highlighted plans to formalize the Working Group.
Hon. Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, CECM, Green Nairobi, Nairobi City County Government | Source: AirQo.
As the CLEAN-Air Forum Lagos 2024 drew to a close, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a sustainable environment. He emphasized the need for a robust policy framework to address persistent air pollution challenges in Africa, urging participants to continue developing and implementing strategies that will ensure cleaner air for all.
Dr. Beatriz Cardenas, Air Quality Lead, WRI, discussing with Dr. R Subramanian | Source: AirQo