By Babatunde Ayedoju

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Noise is one of the realities of the 21st century, coming mostly from sources such as electricity-generating plants, vehicular traffic noises, and construction/industrial noise, alongside excessive noises from religious places, market public address systems and nightclubs.

This gives rise to what is commonly known as noise pollution. Although noise pollution does not get the same attention as other forms of pollution such as air, land and water, it has been proven to be very detrimental to human well-being, both physically and psychologically.

A 2017 publication by Banaadornwi Yorkor, cited in a Nigerian tabloid late last year, evaluated noise levels in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and showed that residents were exposed to between 90 and 115 decibels of noise with a variation of duration.

Likewise, a study published April last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology linked traffic noise with an increased risk of hypertension. It demonstrated strong evidence of the relationship between elevations in blood pressure and roaring engines, honking horns, and wailing sirens.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise above 65 decibels constitutes noise pollution “and becomes harmful when it exceeds 75 decibels. When the level reaches 120db, it becomes “painful” to the ear. WHO described noise pollution as one of the most dangerous environmental threats to health.

The UN agency in 2021 published a study titled, ‘Burden of disease from environmental noise’ where data were collated from various large-scale epidemiological studies of environmental noise in Western Europe and were collected over 10 years.

It analysed environmental noise from planes, trains and vehicles, as well as other city sources, and then looked at their links to health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, cognitive impairment in children, and annoyance.

“There is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population’ and ranked traffic noise second among environmental threats to public health, with the first being air pollution,” the research stated.

Still on the health risks of noise pollution, an America-based National Institute of Health, in an archive of biomedical and life sciences journal titled, Reproductive Outcomes Associated with Noise Exposure — A Systematic Review of the Literature, noted that high noise exposure during critical periods in gestation is a potential stressor that may result in increased risk of implantation failure (miscarriage), dysregulation of placentation or decrease of uterine blood flow.

Meanwhile, there are laws and sanctions in place, especially in Nigeria, to tackle the menace of noise pollution. For example, according to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), any person who violates the law against noise pollution, “Shall be liable to pay a fine of N5,000 for every day the offence subsists and, on conviction, face a penalty not exceeding N50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.”

If the offence is committed by a corporate body, it states that “It shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding N500,000 and an additional fine of N10,000 for every day the offence subsists.”

Former Director-General of NESREA, Aliyu Jauro, while addressing the press in Abuja sometime in June 2021, had called on Nigerians to ensure they complied with environmental rules and regulations, adding that there should be a noise limit in worship centres, industries, and social gatherings, among others.

Mr Jauro, who described noise as one of the serious environmental pollutants affecting plants, animals and humans, had added that the agency had the mandate and power to prosecute any organisation or individual who refused to abide by environmental rules and regulations.

“All these provisions are there in our regulations. There is a provision for fine first. When we receive a complaint we go there and look at the complaint. Then, we go back and serve another compliance notice. We will do that about two times. The third one, we can take either the facility or individual to the court of law.

“But most of the time, we try to see that we resolve the matter amicably with those responsible. We do make sure we resolve those disputes, but if they persist, yes, we can sanction the offenders, and also take them to court of law, and some of them can be judged,” he said.

Nevertheless, it is obviously that despite having laws against noise pollution and punitive measures for defaulters, the menace has continued unabatedly, not minding the health and psychological implications.

Commenting on the matter, Professor Adediran Ikuomola, a criminologist, noted that Nigeria’s economy is highly informal and a lot of factories are located in the wrong place. He pointed out that instead of having a conglomeration of industries in industrial areas, most of them are found in residential areas, a situation that is compounded by the fact that many African cities are not well planned.

While saying that carbon monoxide which comes from vehicles, generators and other sources affects people indirectly without their knowledge, Professor Ikuomola added that a lot of people have innocently broken down with diverse ailments, including people who have never smoked yet develop lung-related diseases.

“Most of the vehicles on our roads are not in a good condition and are therefore not supposed to be on the streets. Sometime ago, there was a law that said vehicles more than 10 years old should not be imported, but it has not been implemented.

“We have to put structures in place to bridge the gap between laws on paper and laws in action,” he added.

Professor Simon Ehiabhi, a university don, attributed the menace of noise pollution despite the laws against it to corruption, nepotism and lack of patriotism, saying that in Nigeria, laws are hardly implemented when the defaulters are influential people in the society.

The professor of history and international studies, therefore, recommended continuous advocacy, adding that civil society groups should rise up and be more active, as they were in the past. He said that through aggressive enlightenment by civil society organisations, members of the public would be better informed about the dangers of noise pollution and the need to avoid it.

Likewise, Dr Mrs. Kemi Adebola, a sociologist, pointed out that lack of law enforcement has made noise pollution to constitute a nuisance in the society to this extent, adding that law enforcement in Nigeria is generally very poor.

While noting that most of the social problems in Nigeria have policies against them but no political will to enforce them, she said that people can  not  just obey a law unless it is enforced.

Dr Salman Adisa, a psychologist, attributed the trend to indiscipline, poverty, politics and corruption, saying that the appropriate law enforcement agencies have not lived up to expectation. He charged law enforcement agents to put religious and ethnic sentiments aside in the discharge of their duties, otherwise the trend would continue.