The Federal Government of Nigeria has raised a major alarm over the escalating public health crisis directly linked to greenhouse gas emissions, warning of a troubling rise in respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and other environment-related ailments.
The Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal, declared the situation a national public health emergency during a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, organized by the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON).
Okay News reports that the government has activated a new National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (NERI-EPHIGGE). Minister Lawal, represented by Permanent Secretary Mahmud Kambari, stated that the burden of disease is outpacing the health system’s capacity, forcing families to spend more on treatment and harming national productivity. The coordinated framework aims for immediate and long-term interventions through stricter regulations, nationwide environmental health surveillance units, and promoting cleaner energy and transport.
The government’s warning is supported by data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which projects that Nigeria’s climate-change-related disease burden could reach 21% if current trends continue. The WHO predicts increases in malaria, diarrheal diseases, asthma, and heat-related deaths, with states like Kebbi, Kaduna, and Yobe identified as most vulnerable. Temperatures in Nigeria could rise by up to 3.0°C by 2050 in extreme scenarios, potentially doubling heat-related fatalities.
In response to the crisis, the Federal Government is also planning a significant financial measure, eyeing a N500 billion green bond sale in 2026 to fund critical climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Minister Lawal emphasized that the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of intervention, calling on industries, the transport sector, and development partners to join the government in a collective effort to safeguard public health from environmental degradation.
