We highlight aspects of the ordinary-known interactions between urban environments and physical activity-that are amplified by the extraordinary-the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria. Leisure physical activity is shaped by local contexts, and pandemic-related changes may have altered existing trade-offs between the benefits and risks of undertaking Leisure physical activity in the city. We note the dynamic and inequitable ways that urban spaces are used during the pandemic and the urgent need for local evidence and solutions. Our reflections in this commentary illustrate the possibility of rethinking urban development and the reforms necessary to address health inequalities post-pandemic.

The study analyzed the relationship between non-oil sector and economic growth from 1980-2012 and data was derived from Central Bank of Nigeria's statistical bulletin (CBN) and World Development Indicators (2013). Variables of interest were GDP as proxy for economic growth, non-oil exports, openness as proxy for technological advancement, oil exports and exchange rate variables. The theoretical framework was the Neoclassical growth model and model specification followed Ondigo et al.,(2013) in conformity to theoretical framework. Unit root test of stationarity was carried out using Augmented Dickey Fuller test and Phillips Peron test and once data was proved stationary, we carried out co integration test; which shows four co-integrating relationships, an indication of long run relationship among variables. Thus, we proceeded to Error Correction Model (ECM) ECM was significant however; non oil export variable was significant but negative. This is an indication of the dismal performance of the sector. The paper concludes that there is need for the government to focus on reviving the sector to improve its performance and ensure that the sector is repositioned to meet international standards.

Public spaces have the potential to produce equitable improvements in population health. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to understand the components of, determinants, risks, and outcomes associated with public space initiatives in African cities. This study will include quantitative and qualitative study designs that describe public space initiatives in African cities with implications for promoting health and wellbeing, particularly through the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. Only studies published after 1990 and that contain primary or secondary data will be included in the review. Literature search strategies will be developed with a medical librarian. We will search PubMed, using both text words and medical subject headings. We will adapt this search to Scopus, Global Health, and Web of Science. This systematic review will adopt a mixed methods analytical approach. Mixing will occur in extracting both qualitative and quantitative findings; in synthesizing findings; and in the analysis where we will integrate the qualitative and quantitative strands. The learnings from this study will contribute to advancing knowledge on noncommunicable disease prevention through public space initiatives in African cities.

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Sub‐Saharan Africa has been the last continent to experience a significant number of cases in the novel Coronavirus (COVID‐19). Studies suggest that air pollution is related to COVID‐19 mortality; poor air quality has been linked to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases, which are considered co‐morbidities linked to COVID‐19 deaths. We examine potential connections between country‐wide COVID‐19 cases and environmental conditions in Senegal, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivorie, and Angola. We analyze PM2.5 concentrations, temperatures from cost‐effective in situ measurements, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and fire count and NO2 column values from space‐borne platforms from 1 January 2020 through 31 March 2021. Our results show that the first COVID‐19 wave in West Africa began during the wet season of 2020, followed by a second during the dry season of 2020. In Angola, the first wave starts during the biomass burning season but does not peak until November of 2020. Overall PM2.5 concentrations are the highest in Ibadan, Nigeria, and coincided with the second wave of COVID‐19 in late 2021 and early 2022. The COVID‐19 waves in Cabo Verde are not in phase with those in Senegal, Nigeria, and Cote, lagging by several months in general. Overall, the highest correlations occurred between weekly new COVID‐19 cases meteorological and air quality variables occurred in the dry season.

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SubSahara Africa has been the last continent to experience a significant number of cases in the novel Coronavirus . Several studies have suggested that air pollution is related to COVID-19 mortality; poor air quality has been linked to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory disease, which are considered co-morbidities linked to COVID-19 death. We examine potential connections between country-wide COVID-19 mortality and environmental conditions in Senegal, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire, and Angola. We analyze PM2.5 concentrations from cost-effective in situ measurements, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and fire count from space-borne platforms during the dry season when dust and biomass burning aerosols are present in Southern Africa. In addition, we examine the COVID-19 mortality during the wet season using space-borne rain measurements to determine potential linkages which might occur as a result of time spent indoors and concurrent cases of flu, waterborne and vector-borne diseases in West Africa. Results are presented from March through December of 2020.

PurposeRecently, multidimensional aspects of poverty has been increasingly focused on which includes education, economy and health, while access to modern energy such as stable electricity is also one of the possible solution; thus, this article aims to divulge the relation between access to electricity and progression in socioeconomic status in urban and rural areas of Nigeria in an attempt to propose a sustainable framework for access to electricity.Design/methodology/approachDemographic and health survey data are collected using four categories of model of questionnaires. A standard questionnaire was designed to gather information on features of the household's dwelling element and attributes of visitors and usual residents between the 2018 period. Biomarker questionnaire was used to gather biomarker data on men, women and children. Logistic model estimation technique was employed to estimate the socioeconomic factors affecting access to electricity in Nigeria.FindingsThese studies discovered that there are diverse set of factors affecting access to electricity in Nigeria especially in the rural areas. However, respondent residing in rural areas are still largely deprived access to electricity; most importantly, households with no access to electricity are more likely to use self-generating sets as revealed. Additionally, empirical findings indicated that the higher the level of your education and wealth, the higher the likelihood of having access to electricity in Nigeria. These factors included political will to connect the rural areas to the national grid, development of other infrastructures in those deprived areas and others.Practical implicationsThe problem confronting access to electricity in Nigeria has three components. The first is the significance of those deprived access to electricity in the rural areas and the physical resources needed to connect them to the national grid. The second is the political willingness of the government to have equitable distribution of public goods evenly between rural and urban areas especially on electricity access which will go a long way in reducing poverty in Nigeria. The third is lack of robust national development plans and strategy to tackle the problems facing electricity access in Nigeria.Social implicationsAs the rate of socioeconomic status/development increases, access to electricity is anticipated to rise up in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe findings can be used by the policy makers to address problems facing access to electricity in Nigeria.