Every evening in Lagos, as millions of cars crowd the streets and diesel generators roar to life during power outages, the city’s air becomes a deadly cocktail of pollutants.
Otonye Iworima, a former Commonwealth Games medalist, knows the cost of this pollution all too well. The fumes invade her home, triggering allergic reactions, throat infections, and pneumonia. Her family, too, suffers from health issues tied to the air pollution caused by high-sulphur fuels.
The Source of the Problem
Much of the toxic fuel in Nigeria originates from Europe. Refineries in countries like the UK and Belgium export fuel with sulphur levels far above European limits to Africa. These fuels, often referred to by traders as “jungle juice,” are unfit for use in Europe but find a market in countries with looser regulations.
Laboratory tests of Lagos petrol revealed sulphur levels of up to 800 parts per million—80 times higher than the EU’s legal limit of 10 ppm. This toxic trade is fueled by profits: it is cheaper for refiners to ship high-sulphur fuels to Africa than to clean them to meet stricter standards.
Economic and Environmental Injustice
Refineries like those in Immingham, UK, process high-sulphur crude oil and export the dirtiest residues to blending facilities like Antwerp’s Sea-Tank Terminal. From there, these fuels are shipped to Nigeria, where weak enforcement of regulations enables their sale.
Trafigura and Vitol, two of the world’s largest commodity traders, are among the key players in this trade, exploiting regulatory gaps to sell hazardous fuels to African markets. The situation highlights a glaring double standard: while Europe enjoys cleaner air, its waste products pollute Africa, causing untold damage to public health and the environment.
Health Crisis in Lagos
The consequences are dire. Inhaling high-sulphur fuels has been linked to respiratory diseases, heart conditions, cancer, and even infertility. Lagos residents, like Iworima and fellow runner Ayomide Jones, describe how the pollution forces lifestyle changes and affects their health. Iworima’s sister recently died from a pulmonary embolism, and her brother suffers frequent asthma attacks.
Attempts at Regulation
While Nigeria recently introduced stricter sulphur limits for fuels, enforcement remains a challenge. Imported fuels with Sulphur levels between 500 and 1,000 ppm still dominate the market due to lower costs. European countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have imposed restrictions on exporting dirty fuels, but traders have simply rerouted shipments through other hubs like Spain and Latvia.
The Call for Global Action
Experts argue that only comprehensive bans across the EU and the UK can halt this trade. The Bamako Convention, which prohibits the export of hazardous substances to Africa, underscores the responsibility of exporting nations. However, without enforcement, the problem persists.
For Nigeria, the stakes are high. Cleaner fuel regulations could improve public health, reduce environmental degradation, and enhance quality of life. Yet, the cost of cleaner imports may be a hurdle for consumers, requiring government subsidies and international cooperation.
A Struggle for Breath
For Lagos residents like Jones, the fight against toxic fuel feels personal. She has stopped running outdoors due to the worsening air quality. “We are just killing each other because of the lack of policy and regulation,” she laments. The battle for cleaner air in Nigeria is emblematic of a larger global issue: the need for equitable and sustainable energy practices that protect vulnerable populations from the byproducts of industrial greed.
