By Chioma Obinna

As the world marked Earth Day 2025, widely regarded as a global climate action day, researchers and other stakeholders on Thursday called on policymakers in developing countries—Nigeria in particular—to take immediate and coordinated action against air pollution, describing it as a “silent killer” and one of the gravest public health threats in the 21st century.

The leading scientists and public health professionals who took turns speaking at the International Summit on Climate Change and Air Pollution in Lagos emphasised the catastrophic health and environmental consequences of poor air quality.

The summit was jointly organised by the Nigerian Heart Foundation, NHF. and Manchester 1824, University of Manchester under the theme: Advancing Air Quality Policy Through Innovation, Research, and Youth Engagement.”

Speaking, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Lagos, Prof Akin Osinogun said Air pollution is not just an environmental hazard but a deadly health crisis.

Osibogun who is also the Executive Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance Nigeria said: “It affects the respiratory system, aggravates cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, and is now linked to diabetes mellitus.

He warned that the evidence is overwhelming, and the time to act is now. Osibogun stressed the need for practical, enforced policies tailored to local realities.

“It is not sufficient to tell people not to use firewood without providing affordable alternatives like clean cookstoves or LPG,” he said.

He also cautioned that environmental laws must serve public health, not become revenue tools.

“Vehicle emissions inspections should be about saving lives, not filling coffers,” he added.

Also in an interview with journalists, Professor Obuks Ejohwomu of the University of Manchester recounted the story of the late Ella Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old British girl whose death became the world’s first legally recognised case of air pollution-induced fatality.

According to him: “Ella lived near a busy road. Every day, she was exposed to invisible but deadly pollutants—on her way to school, in her home, everywhere.

“If this happened in the UK, how many Ellas are dying silently in Nigeria, Ghana, India, and other parts of the developing world?” he asked, calling air pollution “a killer we cannot see, but one we must urgently fight.

He said there was a need for Nigeria to act now. “Act now. The evidence is clear. Air pollution is killing our people. This is a fight we cannot afford to lose,” he stated.

Reeling out a 15-point Call to Action from the summit, the Executive Director of NHF, Dr. Kingsley Akinroye called for immediate adoption of the WHO’s new Global Guidelines on Air Quality and urged Nigeria and other nations to domesticate and enforce these standards across sectors.

“Air quality policy must be multi-sectoral—integrating health, transport, environment, housing, agriculture, and city planning, Akinroye said.

Also on the key recommendations, the summit called for the implementation of a Global Fossil Fuel Treaty with clear timelines for transition to clean energy.

They also call for urgent investment in air pollution monitoring and modeling, especially in Nigeria where data gaps persist.

Other recommendations include the expansion of stationary monitoring networks in both urban and rural areas to capture accurate pollution data, dedicated funding from governments, multilateral, and philanthropies for research and innovative technologies to combat air pollution, strengthening of vehicle emission standards with mandatory annual inspections, support for clean domestic fuels including LPG and solar, and replication of models like the World Bank’s Bangladesh Improved Cookstoves Programme.

They also called for reforms in agriculture including banning stubble burning and promoting composting to replace chemical fertilizers.

On Child and maternal health protections, the Summit calls for new research into how air pollution impacts vulnerable populations, including those with hypertension, respiratory illness, or obesity.

“We need cities designed to protect health, not pollute it.”

Akinroye further advocated for walkable, green urban areas with adequate parks, cycling lanes, and essential services within easy reach.

Earlier, on the role of the Youth and Public Awareness, Special adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Professor Chinwe Obuaku, a climate, emphasised the need for robust public education and youth engagement.

“Air pollution is not a technical issue—it’s a human rights issue. Every child has a right to breathe clean air,” she added.

She further called for the inclusion of climate change education in the school curriculum.

The summit insisted that clean air is non-negotiable and requires urgent, multi-stakeholder, and multi-sectoral action.

The Summit further noted that policymakers, civil society, researchers, and the public must join forces to prevent an avoidable health catastrophe due to climate change and air pollution complications.