Lagos community where printers laugh to banks but leave residents with deadly air, noise pollution 

Angela Onwuzoo

According to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, air pollution was responsible for 30,000 premature deaths in Lagos in 2021. However, despite efforts of the agency to curb the menace of pollution, residents of Shomolu are lamenting how the operations of printers using all sorts of diesel generators in their community have made breathing a struggle for them. ANGELA ONWUZOO reports 

Shomolu community located in the Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State is unarguably the rallying point for most printing work in Lagos. That Shomolu has the highest concentration of printers in Lagos is indisputable. Even though the area is densely populated as a residential community, most of the residential streets are also littered with printing outlets. In Shomolu, printers are ubiquitous. They are practically everywhere and the number of printing outlets in the community increases yearly, an indication that business is good.

Residents of Shomolu have, however, raised the alarm over the activities of some printing companies in the area.

Some of the residents who spoke with PUNCH HealthWise lamented the dependence of these printing outlets on all sorts of generators for their operations, noting that these generators have become a great source of air and noise pollution and a great health threat.

An investigation by PUNCHHealthWise revealed that some of the generators used by some of the printers in the area are in horrible states and could indeed cause health hazards as a result of the deadly fumes they are emitting.  

Our correspondent observed during different visits to the area that not only are some of the diesel generators that the printers are using old but most of them could also be faulty as they are causing not only noise pollution but equally emitting very thick black smoke whenever they are in use. 

 

The surroundings where these generators are kept, our correspondent observed have become dark with the black smoke pollution. The black smoke pollution has also defaced most of the buildings housing them.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the black fumes spewing into the streets daily from these generators only stop when they are turned off.

gathered that some of the printers and owners of these generators have refused to change despite complaints by residents citing economic reasons that have made things tough. Yet, the fumes from these generators constitute health hazards to the residents. 

Worst still, our correspondent learnt that some of the owners of these generators are not connected to the national grid. They prefer using generators for their operations to avoid high electricity bills. So, their generators are always working, emitting smoke and making strident noise even at times when there is a public power supply to the area. 

The lamentation of the Shomolu residents is coming less than three weeks after the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency released a report that revealed that air pollution was responsible for 30,000 premature deaths in the state in 2021.

According to LASEPA, 22,500 out of the number were children. This confirms that children are often the worst hit when things go wrong in society. 

Our correspondent also gathered that the owners of these noisy and poorly maintained generators insist on using them because they consume less diesel than silent and soundproof generators. 

Some of the residents who shared their frustrations with PUNCH HealthWise said it was regrettable that the printers operating in the area are making money and laughing to the banks at the expense of their health while the government agency in charge of the environment watches despite knowing the impact of air pollution on human health.

“Generator fumes emanating from a printing company located in our compound are causing us (tenants) so much discomfort and we don’t even know the impact it would have on our health in the future. 

“As if that is not enough, the noise from these diesel generators alone is frustrating and distressing. Since a printer moved into this compound about 10 years ago, life has become very unbearable for every tenant living here. What is still holding some of us back from packing out of the compound is the lack of money to rent another place.

“The worst part of it is that while other houses have one big diesel generator disturbing them, in our case, we are unfortunate to have two and I can boldly tell you that they are destroying our lives daily,” a mother of three, Mrs. Abigail Babajide who lives at Adurosakin Street, Shomolu, told PUNCH HealthWise.

Asthmatic patient escapes death

Narrating her experience, Mrs. Babajide, a trader and indigene of Oyo State told our correspondent that most of the tenants often complain of incessant headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

She recalled, “There was one asthmatic woman that was living here before with her husband and four children. After having an increased incidence of asthmatic attacks caused by the generator fumes, they have to borrow money and look for another house outside Shomolu.

“One fateful Saturday afternoon, the fumes almost choked her to death but she was lucky her children and husband were around. So, they quickly got her inhaler but the attacks failed to subside, So, they quickly rushed her to Shomolu General where she was revived. A few months after that unfortunate experience, they packed out of the house. 

“The most troubling thing about my situation is that the owner of the printing company has a generator in front of the compound emanating fumes and another inside the company. The one inside the compound is close to my window. 

“Once these two generators are on, the whole compound and all the rooms here will be filled with smoke and when you try to stay outside, the fumes will also not allow you. It is indeed a terrible situation.”

The Oyo State indigene told our correspondent that she and her children were always having health issues as a result of the incessant noise and air pollution in the area. 

Our children suffering from incessant cough

Continuing, the businesswoman said, “My children and I are always suffering from cough, headaches, and fatigue. We rarely have quality sleep at night. And all these started when the printing company was sighted in our compound because we were not having any health issues before the printer moved in here. 

“We complained to the landlord and nothing concrete came out of it because he is not living with us and all he cares about is his money for rent. 

“We have also confronted the owner of the printing company about how his generators were exposing us to health problems and the need for him to get silent diesel-powered generators and he remained adamant. All he cares about is his business and making money.

“The most annoying thing is that the owner of the printing firm does not use electricity from the national grid because he is afraid of their bills. 

“But his generators are very old and faulty that is why they are noisy and bring out a lot of thick black smoke whenever he is using them. And he also works at night. You can imagine our plight.”

“We no longer enjoy sleep at night, everyone living in the compound is stressed. No matter how you try to close your doors and windows, the fumes will still find their way into the room. We want the Lagos State government to come to our rescue. 

“The printer is aware that his activities are causing health problems to the residents by polluting the environment, so the government should not keep quiet and just watch us die slowly and prematurely,” Mrs. Babajide further lamented. 

Another resident troubled by the air pollution in the area is Mr. Christopher Akpan. 

Eye problem

The Akwa Ibom State indigene told PUNCH HealthWise that the fumes from these generators usually cause him eye irritation. 

“I am always using eye drops. As I speak with you, I have high blood pressure. No doubt the constant noise that I am exposed to daily by the sounds of these generators may contribute to it because it is causing me serious mental stress. I also don’t sleep well at night. 

“Some of these printers even work all through the night with their noisy and smoky generators. 

“When you sleep at night with black smoke and noise everywhere, when you wake up in the morning, you become tired and confused. That has been my experience with my family for over five years that we have been living in this area,” the tailor decried.

Findings by PUNCH Healthwise showed that residents living on Akeju street, Apata street, Odunlade street, and Alade street in Shomolu are the worst hit.

Medical experts say air pollution is hazardous to health, warning that it causes different kinds of diseases, especially lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Air pollution affects every system of the body –Expert

An Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist who works at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Dr. Oyeleye Bello, told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that air pollution could affect almost every system in the body.

Bello noted that air pollution could affect the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, neurological system, skin, and reproductive system.

The ENT specialist said air pollution predisposes people to lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

She explained, “It can affect the respiratory system, it can affect the cardiovascular system, it can affect the eyes, it can affect the skin, it can affect the neurological system.

“It has an effect also on children. It can affect the liver.”

A trader in the area, Mrs. Bunmi Ajayi said if she knew that a printer would later be sharing the same building with her, she would not have come to the area to do business.

The businesswoman and mother of five who sells food items said, ”I live in Akoka but I come to Shomolu to do business. I started doing business on Odunlade street over nine years ago.

“But since 2017 when a printing firm was established near my shop, life has not been the same because of the daily smoke and noise from the generator that I am confronted with.

“I am always complaining about headaches. Some customers, when they come to buy something, usually sympathise with me because of the volume of smoke and noise from my neighbour’s generator.” 

Mrs. Funke Kolawale is another resident who is unhappy with the situation.

The mother of three said, “Each time I got pregnant, I was always restless and coughing which the doctor traced to the air and noise pollution in my environment. 

A mother of four and resident in the area, Mrs. Esther Akinola also said, “My children are always coughing and having catarrh because of the smoke. Mine is constant headaches. The situation is not funny at all. Government should please do something about it.”

Mr. Lekan Lawal, also a resident in the area, told our correspondent that the smoke causes him fatigue and eye problems. “I’m always scratching my eyes,” he said.

Other residents who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise shared similar experiences with many calling on the state environmental regulatory agency to do the needful.

A landlord in the area, Mr. Taiwo Mutiu told PUNCH HealthWise that he is worried about the tenants sharing the same building with some of the printers in the area whose generators are spewing black smoke into the environment.

Mutiu, who has been living in the area for over 30 years said he failed to rent any of his apartments to printers to have peace of mind.

“The problem is that even some of the printers themselves know that their generators have issues that affect human health. They should therefore stop putting money above human life and try to use generators that will not affect the health of the residents,” the landlord said.

Printers aware of health hazards 

Some of the printers and owners of these generators told PUNCH HealthWise that they were aware of the hazards that their generators were causing residents daily, but that they would change them whenever they have enough money.

However, they said part of the reasons why they were still using them was because they consume less diesel and are more economical than silent and soundproof generators.

A printer, Mr. James Ayanleye, said, “We have issues with electricity supply in this area. Officials of Ikeja electric usually send us crazy bills. 

“So, we are the ones generating power by ourselves. Again, I can’t afford the soundproof generators now because of the economic situation. 

“Also, this type of generator, called 1125C Fan Engine consumes less fuel but the noise and smoke level are really high. But I will buy a new one and replace it once I have enough money.”

Another printer who simply identified himself simply as Kunle for fear of harassment by the residents said, “Even we the printer are not happy using these types of generators either. Our health is affected as some of us also frequent hospitals because of the impact of the smoke and noise on us. 

“The vibration from my generator is always destroying my office and making me spend money to repair it all the time. I want to change my generator to a better one that will not bring out smoke. But I don’t have the money now. The government should try and help us as we are using generators because we can’t rely on the public power supply because it is irregular.”

The World Health Organisation says the very air that people breathe is growing dangerously polluted, revealing that nine out of 10 people now breathe polluted air, which it says kills 7 million people every year.

According to the global health body, the health effects of air pollution are serious, stressing that one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are due to air pollution.

“This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco, and much higher than, say, the effects of eating too much salt,” it added.

In a document it released in 2018, the WHO noted, “Every day around 93 per cent of the world’s children under the age of 15 years (1.8 billion children) breathe air that is so polluted. It puts their health and development at serious risk. Tragically, many of them die.”

Suppresses immune system 

Experts who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise stressed that people living in noise and air-polluted environments usually come down with all sorts of illnesses and diseases.

Continuing, Bello told our correspondent that air pollution suppresses the immune system and predisposes the individual to a lot of health conditions that the body should have been able to fight. 

“Under the respiratory system, air pollution is one of the predisposing factors to asthma, it causes chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. It can also cause emphysema.

“It could predispose to lung cancer. Then you could now have a cough as a minor symptom and then these major symptoms can occur. 

“On the cardiovascular system, it can lead to heart diseases. It affects the beating of the heart and predisposes to high blood pressure.

“Under the neurological system, there are certain diseases that air pollution is a predisposing factor for such as Parkinson’s, cognitive decline,” she explained. 

On the effect of air pollution on children, the ENT specialist said it has been found that air pollution causes low birth weight in babies.

She stated, “It affects foetal growth if the mother is exposed severely during pregnancy. 

“There are some studies that have linked air pollution to increasing cases of autism. There is a substance that we call lead, it is one of those things that cause air pollution. It is dangerous. Once it accumulates in the brain, it can cause mental retardation.

“When lead accumulates in the renal system, it causes renal failure and can affect the liver. On the eyes, it can cause dry eyes and retinopathy. It causes cancer.”

Residents exposed to infectious diseases  

A Consultant Public Health Physician, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, said air pollution predisposes people to infectious diseases, warning that it could also collapse their lungs.

Anyaike, who is the National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, said, ” It predisposes the lungs to infectious diseases. It can cause cancer of the lung. 

“It can make those living in such an environment not have good perfusion of oxygen. Living in an air polluted area is like someone smoking but we call it passive smoking. Air pollution is not good, it is a health hazard.”

Also speaking, a medical researcher, Dr. Dan Onwujekwe, told PUNCH Healthwise that people who live in such an environment cannot have rest when those generators are working. 

According to him, people living in a noisy and air-polluted environment cannot wake up in the morning and feel rested. 

Onwujekwe, a retired Chief Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba Lagos, said, “It is like putting someone in perpetual stress day and night. People who are excessively exposed to noise will start losing concentration.

“They cannot perform at an optimal level and their health will start breaking down with time.

“The biological function of their body will suffer. So, it is dangerous to be in a noisy environment. All sorts of health conditions can set in. There is a high risk of cancers.

Way forward

The medical experts, however, suggested the way forward was for the government to do the needful and enforce its laws on environmental pollution.

Bello called for awareness creation to let people know about the dangers of air pollution and its impact on health.

She urged the government to legislate and control activities that result in air pollution.

The ENT specialist also enjoined Nigerians to ensure proper waste disposal and stop the burning of waste. 

“We need to find a new source of clean household energy.  

We need stable electricity and adequate housing and ventilation,” she said.

On his part, Onwujekwe called on the state government to provide an enabling environment for businessmen to operate. 

“People should not be made to provide their electricity. There should be proper environmental and noise control to make the environment safe for people.

“The generators should be safe even for the operators. Regulatory agencies should do their job and enforce the laws,” he said.

When contacted, the General Manager, LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, told our correspondent that she was busy but would get back later. 

But she was yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

On the death of 30,000 people in Lagos in 2021 due to air pollution, LASEPA in a document made available to the press recently said, “Air pollution is responsible for over 30,000 premature deaths in Lagos in 2021. This is why we are piloting various projects under this framework towards achieving our climate action targets and in keeping with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s mandate on environmental protection.”

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