The Nigerian government has warned that rising greenhouse gas emissions are fuelling a surge in respiratory, cardiovascular and other environment-related diseases, placing growing strain on the country’s health system and economy.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Environment Minister Balarabe Lawal said environmental surveillance and health data point to a troubling rise in illnesses linked to deteriorating environmental conditions.
“Respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions, and other environmentally linked diseases are rising,” Lawal said in remarks delivered by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mahmud Kambari, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “What we are facing today is no longer solely an environmental issue but a public health emergency.”
Lawal said the burden of disease associated with poor environmental quality is growing faster than Nigeria’s health system can absorb, with knock-on effects for household finances and productivity.
“Families are spending more on treatment, workforce productivity is declining, and environmental degradation continues to undermine our development goals,” he said.
The minister attributed the worsening health impacts partly to the absence of a coordinated national framework addressing the health risks of greenhouse gas emissions. He said the federal government has activated the National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in response.
The programme is designed to deliver both immediate and long-term interventions, including tighter environmental regulation, nationwide environmental health surveillance, cleaner energy adoption, low-emission transport systems, sustainable industrial practices and expanded public awareness campaigns.
“This is a strategic and coordinated national framework aimed at reducing environmental health risks and improving population health outcomes,” Lawal said, adding that tackling the crisis would require collective action across government, regulators, industry, and the energy and transport sectors.
“The cost of inaction is 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 noted that Nigeria’s rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion, rising energy demand and increased transport activity — hallmarks of economic growth — have also led to a sharp rise in environmental pollutants, particularly greenhouse gases, with direct and indirect impacts on human health.
Environmental health response
The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria said it is preparing to lead the technical implementation of the emergency response initiative nationwide.
EHCON Registrar Yakubu Baba described environment-related diseases linked to greenhouse gas emissions as one of Nigeria’s most serious but under-recognised public health challenges.
“Immediate and coordinated action is essential to prevent further loss of lives and safeguard national development,” Baba said.
Under the plan, EHCON will deploy Environmental Health Practitioners to all 774 local government areas and the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory to serve as frontline agents for environmental surveillance, compliance monitoring and community risk communication.
The council also plans to work with other ministries and regulators to introduce mandatory emissions testing, environmental health compliance certification and standardised reporting for industries and transport operators.
“EHCON will operationalise environmental health surveillance and response units to monitor emission-related health risks, conduct routine inspections, collect real-time data and support emergency interventions,” Baba said.
He added that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, national environmental regulations, the country’s climate commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions, the Sustainable Development Goals and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Gender and climate justice concerns
Separately, a group, African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, has warned that climate-related health risks disproportionately affect women and girls, particularly in low-income and informal settings.
The centre said climate change should be viewed not only as an environmental issue, but also as a human rights, public health and environmental justice challenge.
In many communities, women and girls face heightened exposure to extreme heat and environmental hazards while also encountering structural barriers that limit their ability to adapt, the organisation said.
“These realities expose women to health risks they did not create, reinforcing existing inequalities,” the centre said, calling for equity-focused and gender-responsive climate action.
Speaking at the launch of the Baobab Initiative on Women, Health and Climate Action in Abuja, the organisation stressed that women must be recognised not just as victims of climate change, but as leaders in solutions — from clean cooking and nutrition to community health education and local climate adaptation.
“Environmental justice can only be achieved when those most affected by climate impacts play a leading role in designing and implementing solutions,” the centre said.
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