Environmental Quality and Health Effects In Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Economic Development

Abstract

It is wide knowledge that quality of environment has great impact on people’s quality of health status. This study therefore empirically examines the relationship between environmental quality (proxied by carbon dioxide, CO2) and health effect; and its implications for achieving sustainable economic development in Nigeria. The period in focus is 1980 to 2016 and the techniques of estimation employed to address the objective of the study are Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) and Granger causality. The major findings are summarized as follow: CO2 emissions and mortality rate are negatively but insignificantly related. However, total electric power consumption and mortality rate have a positive relationship which is significant at 5% level. This suggests an insufficiency in electricity consumption required to enhance people’s quality of life and to promote good health. Fossil fuel combustion and mortality rate have a significant positive relationship. This suggests that combustion of fossil fuel is hazardous to human welfare. Finally, government health expenditure and mortality rate are significantly and positively related implying inadequacy of public health expenditure to promote good health. Also, an existence of a unidirectional causality which runs from CO2 emission to electric power consumption is observed. CO2 emission granger causes government health expenditure. Life expectancy granger causes electric power consumption and fossil fuel consumption granger causes mortality rate. There is a unidirectional causal relationship flowing from life expectancy and mortality rate to government health expenditure. In the same vein, life expectancy granger causes mortality rate. Therefore, it is recommended that government formulates appropriate policies that will reduce mortality rate through a reduction in combustion of fossil fuel and CO2 emissions, increase government health expenditure and ensure adequate electric power consumption. Also, policies and programs that will guarantee enhanced average life expectancy on a sustainable basis to ensure sustainable economic development should be encouraged in Nigeria.