Abstract

Examining the impact of the fuel (Premium Motor Spirit) subsidy removal policy on air quality enhances our understanding of the relationship between economic policies and the environment. This study aims to investigate the effect of the subsidy removal policy on air quality in Lagos State, Nigeria, by adopting Sentinel 5p techniques. Two months (April-May, 2023) before and two months (June-July, 2023) after the policy was implemented were chosen as the scope of the study. The result revealed a maximum and minimum carbon monoxide (CO) concentration of 0.0484 mol/m² and 0.0415 mol/m² before subsidy removal, and after the policy was passed, the concentration was between 0.0442 mol/m² and 0.0378 mol/m². Maximum and minimum concentration values for aerosols before subsidy removal were between 0.392 and -0.277, and after the policy was implemented, the concentrations were between -0.277 and -0.832. The maximum and minimum concentration values for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) before subsidy removal were between 0.000126 mol/m² and 0.0000502 mol/m², and after the policy was passed, the concentration was between 0.0000892 mol/m² and 0.0000481 mol/m². The study reported that there was a statistically significant (p<0.05) decrease in the emissions of CO and aerosols (with p-values of 0.04 and 0.022, respectively) in the two months following the pronouncement of the end of the fuel subsidy regime. Furthermore, the study revealed that though NO₂ emissions decreased, this decline was not statistically significant (p-value 0.464). Findings from this study suggest that the fuel subsidy removal policy led to improved air quality in Lagos State.

Key Words: Sentinel 5p, Subsidy, Air quality, Lagos, Nigeria