Environmental pollution as health depreciator: the case of household generator use in nigeria

Abstract

The peculiarities of poor electricity generation and distribution which has resulted in high reliance on generators is implicated in the profile of Nigeria’s environmental pollution situation. Still, the consequences of the pervasive use of generators on health is yet to be optimally captured empirically, and macro-wise. Hence, this work was designed to examine correlations between generator use and some selected indices of- health. depreciator. Cross national, secondary data used were extracted from the 2018/19 Nigerian General Household Survey Panel Component (the 2018/19 GHS-Panel). Data on generator use and some selected indices of ill-health were subjected to descriptive and Spearman rank correlational analysis. Results indicated that generator is owned in 24.6% of Nigerian households. Only 55.4% of households have access to electricity; 11.3% and 12.4% of them primarily and secondarily rely on generators respectively. Male and female respondents reporting any health problem was 22.6% and 22.5% respectively, of which only 20.5% consulted a health practitioner. Respondents reporting drug purchase were 28.8%.  Primary reliance on generator significantly and positively correlated with consultation with health practitioner (r = .879, p< 0.05), female health problems (r = .862, p< 0.05), drug purchase (r = .700, p< 0.05), cost of medication (r = .700, p< 0.05), male health problems (r = .667, p = 0.05) and cost of consultation (r = .667, p = 0.05). On the other hand, the use of generator as a secondary or other source of electricity is only significantly and positively related to cost of medication (r = .733, p< 0.05) and drug purchase (r = .717, p< 0.05). Generators are leading assets whose use is becoming a significant element of the Nigerian way of life. Marginal or zero reliance on generator for access to electricity would have kept the Nigerian people healthier than they are currently. Certainly, generator use is a vast sponsor of ill-health and a vicious depreciator of health in Nigeria.