A non-governmental organisation, the Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI), with support from the United Nation Democracy Fund (UNDEF) has called for the strengthening of data which will help Stakeholders gather information regarding environmental pollution and air quality in Nigeria.
Speaking to Journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital, the project officer for policy and governance for MAJI, Mr. Ikechukwu Ahaka, stated that the gathering was to brief Stakeholders on the foundation of the environment portal datacab.io developed by Media Awareness and Justice Initiative(MAJI) which served as a house for information about environmental pollution which affects air quality due to oil exploration and other industrial activities in our communities.
In his words ” We are gathered here to engage with Stakeholders in regards to the foundation of the environmental portal developed by MAJI which houses information regarding environmental pollution and air quality.”
He said that a portal that aggregates data has been developed and data collected from the environment will be published for stakeholders and public use, thereby building Stakeholders capacity that will be used to carry out climate action.
” We have also been able to develop a portal that aggregates data collected from the environment and published for Stakeholders public use, what that means is that we are able to build capacity of stakeholders because information gathered from the portal will help to carry out climate action,” he said.
He further stated that “information gathered will enable stakeholders in making informed decisions and also actions that are capable of making an impact on climate adaptation”. Input gathered through the portal the portal ranges from parameters used for measurement of pollutants, particularly pollutants that affect the atmosphere.
He assured Stakeholders of the validity of the information on the portal, stating that ” the information collected from the communities where the activities are happening and particulate matter are emitted through a device called the Air Quality Monitor and being funneled into the portal, the portal will aggregate those data collected by the device and simplify it for a lay Man understanding. These informations are evidential and are collected at real time at critical locations where these activities take place.
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On the quality of air in the state, he said that matters concentration are very high in some locations, moderate in some locations and very few locations are good . He also noted that industrial activities are causing air pollution in the communities where these activities are taking place.
” At the moment, we have seen statistics of pollution showing that matter concentration is very high in some locations while in some moderate and very few are good. What this tells is that industrial activities are polluting the air in the communities where these industrial activities and oil exploration are going in”
He called on the government to engage with the companies with the aim of enforcing compliance with standard regulation and laws.
He said ” we have engaged the government who have the responsibility of making these companies comply with regulation and laws and we believe government will continue to engage with us so that they can track those companies that violate, the environment laws and also call to solve environmental pollution problems within these communities
