The Use of Generators in Nigeria and Associated Noise Risks

This report delves into the critical issue of generator usage in Nigeria, a nation grappling with erratic power supply, and its consequential noise pollution. The report provides a comprehensive literature review, analyzing the attitudes and awareness of Nigerians regarding the detrimental impacts of generators on health, the environment, and society. It evaluates the perceptions of generator users concerning noise-related health dangers and assesses environmental noise levels, comparing them with international regulatory standards. The study examines noise pollution in residential areas, highlighting the significant decibel levels exceeding WHO limits. The report draws on various research studies to underscore the need for government intervention to improve power supply, thereby reducing reliance on generators and promoting safer, environmentally friendly energy solutions. The report emphasizes the negative impacts of generator use, including potential hearing damage and overall health concerns, and underscores the need for effective noise mitigation strategies.

"The Use of Generators in Nigeria and the Associated Noise Risks from The
Perspectives of Neighbours of Generator Users."
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Table of Contents
Review of literature....................................................................................................................3
Attitude and awareness of Nigerians towards the detriment impact of the use of generators
on health, environment, and society.......................................................................................3
Evaluation of concept and ideas of the users of generators to the Noise related health
dangers owing from generator use in the Ibadan....................................................................4
Evaluation of noise level in the environment for work..........................................................4
Comparison of scales of Noise generated by power generators in comparison to the
permissible limit set by international regulatory bodies.........................................................5
Evaluation of noise pollution in residential areas in Nigeria due to the usage of the power
generators...............................................................................................................................5
Reference list..............................................................................................................................6
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Review of literature
The section of the systematic literature review aims to present an organized and systematic
review of the various concepts and range of literature that deals with the topic of study, which
is relating to perils of Noise linked with the extensive use of generators. The fundamental aim
and objective are to give proof to the problem and issue of the research and thereby an
argument, which would support the present study and prepare the grounds for carrying the
necessary research and understanding the lingering issue of the study.
Attitude and awareness of Nigerians towards the detriment impact of the use of
generators on health, environment, and society
According to Yesufu et al., (2013), the research was carried out to assess and evaluate the
attitude and awareness of Nigerians towards the adverse effect of the application and use of
generators on the health of people. It highlights the reaction and opinion of people towards
the generator usage as one of the new ways of power supply. It has been caused due to the
erratic supply of power in Nigeria.
It has accepted and used a cross-sectional survey, which is descriptive, which is laced with
self-administered questionnaires on different 360 users of generators, who were the active
participants of the research study. It can be seen from the research that was carried out that
majority of the respondents was wholly aware and possessed the knowledge about the serious
adverse effects and danger on the health and the society, by large, which the use of generators
would have (Oguntoke et al., 2019). Around 50% of the respondents acknowledged that they
were vulnerable and prone to the lingering danger, which the use of generators would have on
them. In contrast, around 85.5% answered the fact their neighbors were exposed to the harm,
owing to the use of generators.
In similarity to the views of Adum et al., (2019) asserted and put forth the point that a
considerable number of the domestic generators was described for the participants, which
were placed at around 89.9%. The users of the generators did concur to the fact the use of
generators was linked with Noise, environmental, and serious health impact in a negative way
and the serious danger attached to these areas. Some of these negative effects existed in the
form of deafness and permanent damage to the hearing of a person. The people involved in
the use of these generators and their respective neighbors did show signs of worry about the
adverse impact. The research lay strong thrust on the fact that the role of the government lay
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in proving necessary quantity of power in the country, in order to deter and discourage the
use of generators amongst people in the country, because the erratic supply of electricity in
the country had forced the people to resort to the use of generators as an alternative means of
obtaining power supply. It also asserted that it was the role of the government to encourage
people to use less environmentally and safe means of power supply.
Evaluation of concept and ideas of the users of generators to the Noise related health
dangers owing from generator use in the Ibadan
The research study undertaken by Giwa et al. (2019), was built towards the evaluation and of
the ideas of users to the Noise related health dangers that accrued from the use of generators
in the city of Ibadan. The scholars made high use of cross-sectional research that compared
greater use of the generator and lower use of generators. The technique of interview was
made use for deriving ideas and information about the opinion, opinion, and socio-
demographic traits.
The findings also highlighted the fact that the participants from the particular region who
extensively used generators possessed greater knowledge about the damage from the use,
which on the contrary, was found low amongst those who did not extensively use the
generators.
It can be seen from the research carried out by Ibhadode et al., (2019), that the result of the
use of generator at construction sites led to environmental Noise, and that the level of noise
produced by the use, surpassed that optimum limit. Not only this, but the negligible effort
was given to reduce the Noise to the optimum limit.
People that were in close proximity to such sites were in the vicious grip of the damage that
existed around them. The importance of the research is basically to decipher and identify the
optimum scale of Noise, which consequently, assists the research in studying the perils of
Noise linked with the use of generators.
Evaluation of noise level in the environment for work
Additionally, in the research carried out by Arokoyu et al., (2016), lay significant emphasis
on the evaluation of scales of Noise in a working environment, while a noise risk map was
created to provide critical solution to the growing issue of application of generators as means
of power supply in businesses, which were identified as small scales. The findings
highlighted the fact significant noise level was reached in commercial regions, around 11 in
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the morning and 1 pm during 2 different days. Regions, which were enclosed, seemed to give
greater scales of Noise in comparison to regions that were near the roadside. This denotes the
fact that the research study was important regarding the study of a region that caused noise
pollution through the utility of power generators and, consequently, helped in attaining the
objective of answering the queries of the research.
Comparison of scales of Noise generated by power generators in comparison to the
permissible limit set by international regulatory bodies
According to Oguntoke et al., (2019), the research was focused on the evaluation and
identification of the scale of Noise generated by power generator in comparison to the
permissible limit set by different regulating bodies in the international forum. The study
concurred with the study of Yesufu et al., (2013), the Noise pollution level in Nigeria,
surpassed the permissible limit, which was internationally accepted and enforced. In addition
to this, the level of Noise in the country did surpass the limit allowed by the OSHA
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
Evaluation of noise pollution in residential areas in Nigeria due to the usage of the
power generators
Additionally, it can be seen that the study carried out by Ibhadode et al., (2019), stressed on
evaluating the noise pollution level caused by the generators usage in residential places in the
country. Around 302 households were used for conducting the survey, which was intended to
measure the noise generation in comparison to the limits set by the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
The scale of noise generated due to the usage of generators in the residential places was
observed to be around 30 decibels more than the permissible limit set by WHO.
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Reference list
Adum, A.N., Odogwu, E., Umeh, K., and Amete, R.C., 2019. Health Risk Communication
and The Hazards of Portable Electricity Generator Use: A Study of Awareness and
Knowledge of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Among Resident Nigerian Public University
Students. Health, 9(6). P.155-177
Arokoyu, S.B., Emenike, G.C., and Atasi, L.T., 2016. Assessment of road junctions' noise
levels in Yenagoa metropolis, Nigeria using geographic information systems. Nat. Sci, 14(3),
pp.82-96.
Giwa, S.O., Nwaokocha, C.N., and Adeyemi, H.O., 2019. Noise and emission
characterization of off-grid diesel-powered generators in Nigeria. Management of
Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(4), pp.783-802.
Ibhadode, O., Adekunle, A., Abimiku, Y.K., and Umeobika, N.M., 2019. Noise-level
Characterization of Portable Electric-power Generators in North-Central Nigeria: A Brand-
by-Brand Comparative-study. International Journal of Engineering Research and Advanced
Technology (IJERAT). 5(4), p.44-58
Oguntoke, O., Tijani, Y.A., Adetunji, O.R., and Obayagbona, O.N., 2019. Spatial Analysis of
Environmental Noise and Auditory Health of Abeokuta Residents, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 23(9), pp.1699-1707.
Yesufu, L.A., Ana, G.R.E.E. and Umar, O.Z., 2013. Knowledge and perception of Noise
induced health hazards associated with generator use in selected commercial areas in Ibadan,
Nigeria. International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public
Health, 5(9), p.581.
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