The variables through which pollutants reach us include not only the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, but also the sound we hear. This is emphasizing the point that noise pollution constitutes an element of the general environmental pollution problem. Just as foul air constitutes a stench in the nose, so also is excessive noise in the ear. In fact, noise is no longer regarded as a mere nuisance, it has now been found to be a hazard posing serious threat to the quality of life enjoyed, especially in the urban environment.

Noise, it is said, is any sound that is unpleasant to the ear. Medically, when it persists, it can damage the ear. Considering the ear organ, it has been said that human ears were designed to process naturally-occurring sounds, and they are beautifully adapted to handle that task. They are able to detect sounds of intensities that vary across many orders of magnitude, and to meaningfully transmit these signals to our brains. But they are not well equipped to deal with the high noise levels that are common in Nigeria’s urban cities today, because such loud sounds occur only rarely in nature.

Although the eardrum may sometimes be ruptured by severe noise (acoustic trauma) or pressure changes, the part that is most vulnerable to damage by noise lies more deeply in the inner ear, where the final processing takes place before the sound is converted into nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain. Findings revealed that urban dwellers in Nigeria are exposed to high noise levels (above 70 decibels), with the attendant health implications.

It is noise pollution everywhere in Nigeria. Some persons think that it is normal to make noise or that they are immune to noise. As a result of this, many people are suffering from hearing problems, especially children.

The irony is that when one tells some of the people in this line of behaviour to check their ways, they remind the person of how the complainant does not belong to this country and that the person should go to Europe or America and live.
Many Nigerians get insane with noise and it destabilises their mental setting. Some residents would amplify the volume of their record players with the view that other neighbours are enjoying whatever their music was.

Of the 120 million babies born yearly in the developing world, it was said that 718,000 are likely to have permanent or sensor neural hearing impairment at an estimated incidence of six per 1,000 live births compared to 2-4 per 1,000 for the developed world.

WHAT CAN WE DO ?