‘[The black soot] is a reflection of the state of affairs and government have failed to protect the citizens.’ — Eugene Abels, initiator of the ‘StopTheSoot’ campaign.
In Rivers State, efforts to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic could be rendered futile due to a long-running air pollution crisis—black soot. Years after the 2016 and 2018 #StopTheSoot protests, Port Harcourt and other parts of Rivers State in south-eastern Nigeria are still covered in black soot. Recently, residents’ health concerns have re-emerged due to the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron...
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