Air pollution is a critical environmental challenge threatening ecological integrity, human health, and sustainable development in Nigeria. With over 208 million inhabitants, the country faces rising atmospheric burdens of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and sulphate aerosols (SO4), largely driven by industrialization, fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and open waste burning. These pollutants not only intensify climate change through greenhouse gas accumulation but also disrupt atmospheric chemistry, degrade ecosystems, and alter meteorological patterns. Despite the urgency, Nigeria’s air quality monitoring infrastructure remains inadequate, leaving long-term atmospheric transformations poorly understood. This study investigates the chemical evolution of Nigeria’s atmosphere from 2004 to 2024 using satellite remote sensing data from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Results reveal a significant decline in CO and SO2 concentrations, suggesting progress in emission control, while CO2 and CH4 levels exhibited a steady increase, reflecting fossil fuel dependence, urbanization, geopolitics, and agricultural pressures. Conversely, NO2 and SO4 displayed fluctuating but inconclusive trends, pointing to complex emission dynamics and atmospheric processes. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between pollutants, climate systems, and environmental impacts.
References
[1]
WHO (2023) Health and Wellbeing. The Global Health Observatory.
[2]
Olowoporoku, A.O., Longhurst, J.W.S., Barnes, J.H. and Edokpayi, C.A. (2011) Towards a New Framework for Air Quality Management in Nigeria. In: Brebbia, C.A. and Longhurst, J.W.S., Eds., WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment: Air Pollution XIX, WIT Press, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.2495/AIR110011
[3]
Okwilagwe, O.O. and Olubusoye, O.E. (2025) Environmental Economic Impacts and Policy Pathways of Gas Flaring in Nigeria from 2002 to 2024. Discover Environment, 3, Article No. 138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-025-00332-5
Oguntoke, O. and Adeyemi, A. (2017) Degradation of Urban Environment and Human Health by Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Combusting Electricity Generators in Abeokuta Metropolis, Nigeria. Indoor and Built Environment, 26, 538-550. https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326x16629818
[6]
Akimoto, H. (2003) Global Air Quality and Pollution. Science, 302, 1716-1719. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1092666
[7]
Onwudiwe, N.N. (2023) Review on Climate Change Impacts on Air Quality in Nigeria. In: Springer Climate, Springer, 217-232. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21007-5_12
[8]
Solomon, S. (2007) Climate Change 2007—The Physical Science Basis, IPCC (Vol. 4). Cambridge University Press.
[9]
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2023) Air Pollution and Agriculture Report.
[10]
Seinfeld, J.H. and Pandis, S.N. (2016) Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change. Wiley.
[11]
Anejionu, O.C.D., Whyatt, J.D., Blackburn, G.A. and Price, C.S. (2015) Contributions of Gas Flaring to a Global Air Pollution Hotspot: Spatial and Temporal Variations, Impacts and Alleviation. Atmospheric Environment, 118, 184-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
[12]
Greenstone, M., Hasenkopf, C. and Lee, K. (2022) Annual Update. Air Quality Life Index, 30.
[13]
Adewale, O.O. and Mustapha, U. (2015) The Impact of Gas Flaring in Nigeria. International Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 3, 40-50. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsts.20150302.12
[14]
Efe, S.I. (2008) Spatial Distribution of Particulate Air Pollution in Nigerian Cities: Implications for Human Health. Journal of Environmental Health Research, 7, 107-116.
[15]
Okali, D.E.E.O. (2004) Climate Change and Nigeria: A Guide for Policy Makers. Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team (NEST).
[16]
Okedere, O.B., Elehinafe, F.B., Oyelami, S. and Ayeni, A.O. (2021) Drivers of Anthropogenic Air Emissions in Nigeria—A Review. Heliyon, 7, e06398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06398
[17]
Croitoru, L., Juan Jose, M., Abdellatif, K., et al. (2000) The Cost of Coastal Zone Degradation in Nigeria: Cross River, Delta and Lagos States. World Bank Group.
[18]
Martin, R.V. (2008) Satellite Remote Sensing of Surface Air Quality. Atmospheric Environment, 42, 7823-7843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.07.018
[19]
Federal Ministry of Environment (2018) Nigeria’s National Action Plan to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. Department of Climate Change, Nigeria.
[20]
Omokpariola, D.O., Nduka, J.K., Anagboso, M.O. and Omokpariola, P.L. (2025) Long-Term Trends and Chemometric Analysis of Atmospheric Air Quality Matrices in Nigeria (2003-2023) Using NASA GIOVANNI Satellite Data. Discover Applied Sciences, 7, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-025-06934-1
[21]
Leptoukh, G. (2007) Exploring NASA and ESA Atmospheric Data Using Giovanni, the Online Visualization and Analysis Tool. ENVISAT Symposium, Montreux, 23-27 April 2007.
[22]
Thrastarson, H.T. (2024) Overview of the AIRS Mission. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).
