Years Of Environmental Pollution Fuel Respiratory Illnesses, Contaminate Water

Years of Environmental Pollution Fuel Respiratory Illnesses, Contaminate Water in Rivers Communitie Years of gas leaks, gas flaring, soot emissions and other forms of environmental pollution are taking a severe toll on communities across Rivers State, with residents reporting recurring respiratory illnesses, contaminated water sources, damaged livelihoods and, in some cases, relocation from affected areas. found that although the thick black soot that once blanketed Port Harcourt has reduced considerably from its peak between 2016 and 2023, pollution from gas flaring, leakages and oil and gas activities continues to expose residents to potentially harmful substances. The health consequences are increasingly becoming a major concern, with children and adults reporting asthma attacks, breathing difficulties, persistent cough and other respiratory problems. A consultant paediatrician at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Apollous Josiah, said respiratory-related complaints were increasingly being recorded among patients. According to him, about half of the patients attending his unit daily present with respiratory complaints, including difficulty breathing, fast breathing, cough and catarrh. The black soot crisis in Port Harcourt became particularly severe in 2016, with residents complaining that soot stained their homes, cars, clothes, offices and even food. Artisanal crude oil refining, illegal bunkering, gas flaring and the open burning of confiscated illegal refining equipment have been identified as contributors to the pollution. The Guardian reported that Air Quality Index levels in parts of Port Harcourt frequently rise beyond 155, exceeding the 150 threshold considered a public health emergency. A 2019 technical report commissioned by the Rivers State Government reviewed medical records involving 22,077 people who received care for soot-related conditions. The report found adverse respiratory, skin and reproductive conditions associated with black soot and identified gas flaring and illegal bunkering as major sources. It also found heavy metals in analysed soot samples and warned of potential cancerous and non-cancerous health consequences from prolonged exposure. The Guardian’s visits to hospitals, pharmacies and health outlets across Port Harcourt revealed continued demand for respiratory medications. Residents were observed purchasing inhalers, bronchodilators and medications commonly used to manage breathing problems. Health workers at primary healthcare facilities also reported cases involving children suffering from asthma and other respiratory conditions. Consultant family physician at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr Ephraim Iloabuchi, said doctors were seeing increasing numbers of patients with chronic lung and heart-related diseases. However, he noted that Nigeria still lacks sufficient local data to determine the precise scale of the problem or establish a direct connection between individual illnesses and environmental pollution. In Bille community, Degema Local Government Area, residents are facing an additional environmental crisis involving persistent gas leakage and suspected contamination of water sources.that the gas leakage began in October 2025 and worsened in 2026. Residents said the situation has made normal daily activities increasingly difficult, with warnings against the use of naked flames because of the concentration of gas in the atmosphere. Veronica Amakiri, a resident, demonstrated how water collected from a traditional water source reportedly changed from clear to dark within minutes after exposure to air. Professor of community medicine and environmental health at the University of Port Harcourt, Best Ordinioha, said such a change could indicate chemical contamination, although laboratory analysis would be required to establish the exact contaminants. He warned that contaminated water could cause immediate gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhoea, while prolonged exposure to certain chemicals could damage the lungs, kidneys and liver. Some contaminants, he added, have also been associated with cancer, reproductive problems and congenital abnormalities. Residents of Bille also said the environmental crisis has damaged farmlands, disrupted fishing and threatened traditional sources of livelihood. Victoria Jack, one of the community’s women’s leaders, said families and children were particularly affected, with residents struggling to breathe and uncertain about the substances they inhale. The combination of polluted air, contaminated water and damaged livelihoods has become so severe that some residents have started relocating. Kesiah Amadi, a resident of the Abloma area of Port Harcourt, said she was increasingly worried about reports of respiratory and lung diseases and was no longer comfortable remaining in the state with her family. Professor of paediatrics at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Prof. Alice Nte, said children were particularly vulnerable to environmental pollution because their bodies and tissues were still developing. She linked prolonged exposure to polluted environments with respiratory diseases and warned of possible long-term consequences, including asthma, cancers, congenital abnormalities and skin diseases. Nte also raised concerns about pollutants entering water sources through oil and gas leakages, potentially exposing residents to additional health risks. She called for urgent intervention by government and regulatory authorities rather than waiting until affected communities are forced to publicly demand action. The World Health Organisation estimates that unhealthy environments and preventable exposure to environmental pollution account for roughly 24 per cent of deaths globally, equivalent to about 13.7 million premature deaths annually. Air pollution, unsafe water and exposure to toxic chemicals are among the major environmental threats to public health. The WHO has also linked environmental risks to non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and lung cancer. The situation in Rivers State raises concerns about Nigeria’s progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. Environmental advocates have criticised the government over what they describe as weak enforcement of laws regulating gas flaring and pollution. Chima Williams, a lawyer and 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Africa, argued that Nigeria already has laws capable of addressing gas flaring but that the major problem is enforcement.He called on authorities to enforce environmental regulations, sanction violations and prioritise the lives and livelihoods of residents in oil-producing communities. Williams also argued that government must move beyond what he described as paper compliance and take practical steps to compel oil companies to comply with environmental regulations. Dr Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, called for immediate clean-up and environmental restoration in affected communities. Environmental advocates also urged the government and oil companies to take responsibility for preventing pollution, restoring degraded environments and protecting communities from continued exposure. For residents of Rivers State, the pollution crisis has evolved beyond an environmental problem into a public health and livelihood emergency. While the visible soot over Port Harcourt may have reduced, gas flaring, leaks and pollution continue to affect the air residents breathe, the water they drink and the land on which they depend. Communities such as Bille are now demanding urgent intervention, clean water, safer air and meaningful environmental restoration as residents struggle with the consequences of years of pollution.