Spatiotemporal patterns and health implications of air pollution in Nigeria

Air pollution is a major environmental and public health challenge in Nigeria, driven by urbanization, industrialization, transportation, biomass combustion, gas flaring, waste burning, and increasing energy demand. However, evidence on its sources, spatial and temporal patterns, health effects, and emerging monitoring approaches remains fragmented. This study conducted a systematic review of evidence on air pollution in Nigeria using the PRISMA 2020 framework. Literature published between 2000 and 2026 was identified from scientific databases, government sources, and grey literature and assessed against predefined eligibility criteria. The eligible evidence was synthesized using a qualitative narrative approach because of substantial variation in study designs, pollutants, monitoring approaches, data sources, and analytical methods. The synthesis indicates that PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3 are frequently investigated across Nigerian urban, industrial, transportation, and oil producing environments. Pollution patterns vary across locations and seasons, with dry season conditions, Harmattan dust, biomass burning, traffic, and industrial activities frequently influencing observed concentrations. Earth Observation approaches, including MODIS, Sentinel 5P, OMI, MERRA 2, and related satellite products, are increasingly used to extend the spatial and temporal coverage of air quality assessment where ground monitoring is limited. However, gaps remain in ground validation, integrated exposure modelling, monitoring coverage, and Nigeria specific epidemiological evidence. Future research should prioritize the integration of Earth Observation, ground observations, meteorological data, and locally calibrated machine learning approaches to improve high resolution air quality and exposure assessment.