FG raises alarm over rising environment-related diseases, links surge to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing burden of respiratory, cardiovascular and other environment-related diseases across Nigeria, attributing the trend to increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, sounded the alarm on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National Emergency Response to Environment-Related Diseases Arising from Greenhouse Gas Emissions, organised by the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON).

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mahmud Kambari, the minister said available environmental surveillance reports, health data and peer assessments point to a disturbing rise in illnesses linked to deteriorating environmental conditions.

“Respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions and other environmentally linked diseases are on the rise. What we are facing today is no longer solely an environmental issue but a public health emergency,” Lawal said.

He noted that the growing disease burden associated with poor environmental quality was increasing at a pace faster than the country’s health system could accommodate.

According to him, the trend has led to rising healthcare costs for families, declining workforce productivity and worsening environmental degradation, all of which threaten Nigeria’s development objectives.

“The burden of disease associated with poor environmental quality is increasing faster than our health system can cope. Families are spending more on treatment, productivity is declining, and environmental degradation continues to undermine our development goals,” he added.

Lawal attributed the worsening situation to the absence of a coordinated national framework to address the health risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions.

To address the challenge, he disclosed that the Federal Government has activated the National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (NERI-EPHIGGE).

The initiative, he explained, is designed to deliver both immediate and long-term interventions through strengthened regulations, nationwide environmental health surveillance systems, promotion of cleaner energy, sustainable industrial practices, low-emission transport policies and expanded public awareness campaigns.

He described NERI-EPHIGGE as a strategic and coordinated national framework aimed at reducing environmental health risks and improving public health outcomes across the country.

The minister stressed that tackling the crisis would require a collective effort involving government agencies, regulators, industry players, and stakeholders in the energy and transport sectors.

“The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of intervention. The science is clear, the health evidence is undeniable, the risks are immediate, and the time to act is now,” Lawal said.

He also commended the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria for convening the engagement, describing it as timely and critical.

Lawal noted that Nigeria, like many rapidly developing nations, is witnessing accelerated urbanisation, industrial expansion, rising energy demand and increased transportation activities.

“These are indicators of economic growth and modernisation. However, they have also resulted in a troubling increase in environmental pollutants, particularly greenhouse gases, with direct and indirect impacts on human health,” he said.

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