Short answer. Nigeria has no national air quality index with official pollution alerts. In Lagos, the state environmental agency LASEPA runs a live air-quality dashboard with six categories from Good to Hazardous 1, and NiMet publishes a quarterly Air Quality Bulletin 6. In the median Nigerian city, fine particles (PM2.5) average about 43 µg/m³, over eight times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ 35.
Where can I check air quality right now?
- Lagos: the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) publishes a live Air Quality Dashboard from its sensors, with six categories: Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy and Hazardous 1.
- Nationally: Phaenyx found no national live index. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) lists a quarterly Air Quality Bulletin among its publications (the 4th quarter 2025 edition was posted in April 2026) 6.
What are Nigeria's legal air quality limits?
The National Environmental (Air Quality Control) Regulations, enforced by NESREA, set ambient standards 2:
| Pollutant | Nigerian standard | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|
| PM10 | 60 µg/m³ (annual), 150 µg/m³ (24 hours) 2 | 15 µg/m³ (annual), 45 µg/m³ (24 hours) 5 |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 80 µg/m³ (annual), 120 µg/m³ (24 hours), 200 µg/m³ (1 hour) 2 | 10 µg/m³ (annual) 5 |
| PM2.5 | No national standard in the schedule 2 | 5 µg/m³ (annual) 5 |
The same regulations ban smoking in public places except in designated areas 2. Air quality index explained shows how common indexes work.
How polluted is the air on average?
Clearly above WHO guidelines for fine particles. The population-weighted median of Nigerian cities shows about 43 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) 3, more than eight times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ 5. Background nitrogen dioxide is about 7.6 µg/m³ 4, below the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ 5; that figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km, and a busy street will be higher. City medians hide local differences.
What should I do on a bad air day or in dust?
Phaenyx found no official national advice for households on pollution episodes, harmattan dust or smoke. General steps are in our guides: a clean-air room, masks for smoke, dust storms, a pollution episode, and advice for sensitive people and children. Generators are a common indoor source; see generators and carbon monoxide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nigeria have an air quality index?
Not at national level with published thresholds or alerts. Lagos publishes a six-category live dashboard 1.
Is Nigeria's air above WHO guidelines?
For fine particles, yes: about 43 µg/m³ of PM2.5 in the city median 3 against 5 µg/m³ 5.
Is there a legal limit for PM2.5?
No: Nigeria's ambient schedule sets PM10, not PM2.5 2.
Preparedness index: Nigeria ranks 65th of 67, 19/100 · full ranking
Sources · 6
- Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) · Air Quality Dashboard checked 2026-11-13
- National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) · National Environmental (Air Quality Control) Regulations (S.I. No. 64 of 2014, current amended text) checked 2026-11-13
- Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis · Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) checked 2026-11-13
- Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) · CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) checked 2026-11-13
- World Health Organization (WHO) · WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) checked 2026-11-13
- Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) · NiMet home page (publications: Air Quality Bulletin) checked 2026-11-13