Residents face real risk of living near Dangote Refinery

As the Dangote Refinery prepares to begin operations later in the year after commissioning on May 22, the risks of living near an oil refinery take on more significance.

Real estate companies have long based their advertisements to lure people into buying land in forest areas of the Lekki axis in close proximity to the Dangote Refinery. It was supposed to be a landmark that will green-light development in those areas riding on the back of the refinery.

While the Dangote Refinery went through strenuous environmental approvals from the Ministry of Environment, according to its chairman, Aliko Dangote, at an industry event last week. “To make the land suitable because of climate change, we need to raise the land by 1.5 metres,” he said, adding that the area is seven times the size of Victoria Island.

These property developers did not go through this rigour.

Oil refineries emit various pollutants into the air and water, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These pollutants can have negative health effects on people living in close proximity to the refinery, particularly those with respiratory problems. The pollutants can also have environmental impacts, such as acid rain, soil contamination, and water pollution.

In addition to health and environmental concerns, there is also the risk of accidents at oil refineries, such as explosions or fires. Accidents can have catastrophic consequences, including injuries or fatalities, property damage, and long-term health effects.

In 2005, an explosion occurred when a vapour cloud of natural gas and petroleum ignited and violently exploded at the isomerisation process unit at the BP Texas City refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers, and injuring 180 others. An accident investigation report blamed it upon a running vehicle engine.

Given these potential risks, some experts argue that it is not appropriate to locate residential buildings close to oil refineries.

Kelvin Emmanuel, energy sector expert and co-founder/CEO at Dairy Hills, said the potential that the Dangote Refinery has to end decades of the government providing under-recovery for the subsidy of petrol in Nigeria must not becloud the environmental risk the nonchalance of regulators will cause to human safety and environment, mostly around the Lekki axis.

The health effects of living near a refinery can prove to be chronic and gradual. According to an advisory published by the California government in the United States, some adverse health effects of living near a refinery include increased risk of asthma, cancers, birth defects, neurological damage, cardiovascular damage, difficulty breathing, and blood disorders. Additionally, those who live closer to oil refineries are statistically more at risk to develop these health disorders, even if they are 10 miles away.

Since the construction of the Dangote Refinery in 2016, there have been a number of developments along the Ibeju Lekki axis where it is situated, ranging from real estate developments to the expansion of road networks leading to the refinery, among others.

However, other factors such as the availability of land and the need for affordable housing in certain areas have spurred several multibillion-naira estate projects along the Lekki axis.

Real estate companies including Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Limited as well as the Lagos State government have poured millions in landed properties around the Dangote Refinery.

The Lagos State Government is building Lekki International Airport, which will have a capacity of up to 5 million passengers a year. 3,500 hectares of land have been designated for the airport, and the master plan is already in place.

In addition, the government plans to construct the 38-kilometre-long Fourth Mainland Bridge, which would connect Lagos Island with the towns of Ibeju Lekki and Baiyeku as well as across the Lagos Lagoon and into Ikorodu.

According to the state government, this bridge will help the area’s road system by complementing the Third Mainland Bridge, strengthening the state’s economy while also promoting investment. The Lekki Deep Seaport and Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate and several shopping and recreational centres would further drive people into the Lekki corridor.

Emmanuel said the Lagos State government should be proactive to draw up and enforce rules that will ensure that the octane level of the fuel refined is above 90 percent and below 15 percent sulphur parts per million (ppm) which is in line with global benchmarks.

“This is essential to improve the fuel-to-air combustion of engines, that is essential to reduce the pressure spikes of engines and ensure that the carbon control in emissions is not only ensured but that the lifespan of engines using the fuel in Nigeria is improved,” he said.

To protect residents around the refinery, he called on the Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA) to work with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency to ensure that waste water effluents discharged from the refinery are properly treated for detoxification before they are discharged.

Read also: Buhari to inaugurate 650,000bpd Dangote Refinery May 22

“LASEPA needs to ensure that in line with globally accepted environmental standards, residential property developers in Lagos are not allowed to sell properties within a 48-KM radius of the refinery because of gasses like nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, carbon monoxide, that can cause respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, nausea,” he said.

To mitigate these environmental effects, refineries can adopt a range of measures such as using cleaner technologies, reducing energy and water consumption, and implementing proper waste management practices. The government can also impose regulations and standards to limit the environmental impact of refineries.

Dangote Industries Limited has said the 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery had been designed to process a variety of light and medium grades of crude and produce extremely clean fuels that would meet the Euro V specification, which is less thsn 10ppm sulphur.