How IoT Adoption Will Protect Humans from Air Pollution’

Emma Okonji

IoT Africa, a Tranter Group of Companies, facilitating the growth and penetration of Internet of Things (IoTs), has said the rapid expansion of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, has resulted in pollution, unhealthy air, and a high prevalence of illness and untimely deaths.

The group cited the World Bank study of 2018, which stated that air pollution, disease, and early deaths in Lagos, caused by ambient air pollution, cost about $2.1 billion, accounting for nearly 2.1 per cent of Lagos Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

IoT Africa however said IoT adoption could protect humans from air pollution, if properly managed.
In a bid to address these concerns, IoT Africa Networks Limited, held an IoT Air quality and Space monitoring Webinar, tagged “Quality Air and Covid 19: How to improve productivity and safety using IoT”.

The online event, which held recently, had three global industry experts as keynote speakers. The speakers included, the Founder of Connected Finland, Tom Lindblad; Head of International Relations, Rapal Oy, Maija Patjas and the Executive Director of IoT Africa Limited and Tranter IT Infrastructure Services Limited, Melanie Ayoola.

The event was moderated by the Communications Manager, IoT Africa Limited, Wole Bamgboye and Tranter IT Infrastructure Services Limited.
The webinar raised awareness about the importance of IoT Air quality and Space Monitoring using the Internet of Things (IoT) in the everyday lives of Nigerians, as well as the corporate, industrial, and manufacturing sectors.

The purpose was to show how air quality affects workplace health, safety, and productivity. It also emphasized the link between air quality and the spread of the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.
During the webinar, Ayoola outlined the importance of air quality as it relates to daily productivity. In her presentation, she highlighted how remote work and other corporate workplace perks such as bonus packages and fantastic reward schemes could be undermined by the unavailability of quality air.

According to her: “It could all be less effective in providing a motivated and driven workforce, if the air, the basic natural resource we need to live, is not good enough to sustain the body’s engine.”
She went on to discuss how the air we breathe affects our productivity and stated that “what we are avoiding is an environment where our air is working against us.”

Lindblad was on hand to provide additional insights on the topic – Seeing The Invisible: How Connected Inventions can help to Monitor and Provide Covid-Safe Indoor Quality Air Around You. He explained how Carbon Monoxide (CO2) levels rise when there is less fresh air, causing headaches, restlessness, drowsiness, and other symptoms. Increased levels have been related to decreased productivity, increased sick leave, and the spread of infectious diseases, making this a serious issue in the office, school, and at home.

The third speaker, Patjas, described how optimized workspaces could create a better work environment and lead to higher efficiency levels among company staff. Patjas spoke about how managing hybrid work is making it difficult to optimize space layouts. She highlighted the changes among workers from an individual-based system into a social, collaborative use of space, with more focus on how employees feel about the environment, and how they can use a more flexible environment to be more productive. She also explained how improved productivity and collaboration, better satisfaction, better indoor comfort, reduced real estate costs, and energy savings could all be achieved when organizations integrate smart space monitoring.