Effects of Environmental Quality on Human Health Status in Nigeria

Environmental quality is fundamental to the existence life; when the environmental quality of a nation is high, humans, plants and animals will enjoy a longer and improved quality life which in turn will lead to the achievement of sustainable development. Studies have shown that deterioration in the quality of the environment is associated to severe human health issues and it is against this backdrop that the link between the quality of the environment and human health is being examined by policy makers and researchers. This study therefore investigated the effects of environmental quality on human health status in Nigeria using the Ordinary Least Square estimation techniques. The findings indicate the existence of a long-run relationship between health as measured by life expectancy and the explanatory variables included. The outcome also demonstrates that CO2 emissions, an indicator for environmental quality significantly reduce life expectancy. More so, income and the linear combination of access to improved water source and access to improve sanitary facility significantly improves life expectancy. In the light of foregoing, consequently, this research recommends that it is important for the Nigerian government to strengthen environmental regulations meant to improve people’s access to a better water supply and sanitary facilities along improved income aimed at bettering health status.