Health experts have warned that sleeping and living in poorly ventilated rooms and areas may lead to suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, and death, urging Nigerians to avoid sleeping in enclosed spaces such as containers, shops, or rooms with no or small windows.
The specialists stated that when a room is not properly ventilated, it leads to the build-up of carbon dioxide and low oxygen, which can cause headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and in severe cases, suffocation and death.
The experts noted that the lack of air exchange between oxygen from fresh air and carbon dioxide exhaled by individuals creates a dangerous environment where people re-inhale carbon dioxide instead of oxygen.
In interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, they added that for pregnant women, poor ventilation can lead to stillbirth, low birth weight, pre-term delivery, and congenital abnormalities.
With the soaring cost of house rents in the country, especially in Lagos State, findings reveal that many Lagos residents have begun sleeping in their shops, containers, cars, and in overcrowded and poorly ventilated rooms.
It was also gathered that children, whose parents were affected by the inability to pay the exorbitant house rents and are forced to relocate to faraway areas from their children’s schools and their workplaces or sources of income, are also forced to sleep in the shops, containers and overcrowded rooms.
But in an earlier report, PUNCH Healthwise revealed that sleeping in overcrowded rooms and poorly-ventilated homes also causes pneumonia, a respiratory infection that kills 162 under-five Nigerian children annually.
The PUNCH previously reported the outcry of Lagos residents as house rents gulp over half of their income, leading to homelessness and an overall housing crisis.
Recent reports reveal that the rent of a two-bedroom flat in Lagos State now averages N2.5m annually. Yet, many Nigerians earn a minimum wage of N70,000 per month.
Also, a report by Knight Frank revealed that although headline inflation eased in the second half of 2025, residential rents in Lagos continued to rise, with notable increases recorded in some locations compared with H2 2024.
Commenting on the matter, a Public Health Physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, explained that ventilation is essential for allowing fresh oxygen to replace carbon dioxide released during breathing.
He stated that when a room lacks proper ventilation, the air inside becomes stale and harmful gases may accumulate, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“People who live or sleep in poorly ventilated areas are at risk because there is no proper exchange of fresh air. The carbon dioxide people breathe out is supposed to leave the room and be replaced by fresh oxygen, but when that does not happen, the air becomes harmful,” he said.
Adesanya noted that such situations are common where individuals sleep in small rooms with limited windows, stalls, or even inside vehicles where air circulation is restricted.
He added that in severe cases, the lack of oxygen in poorly ventilated spaces could lead to suffocation and death.
The physician also warned that generator fumes could worsen the situation when generators are placed close to windows or inside residential buildings.
“You know, people place generators close to their windows. The smoke from the generator can enter the room, and when inhaled, it becomes carbon monoxide, which can lead to poisoning,” he said.
Adesanya stressed that exposure to carbon monoxide could cause choking, paralysis and eventually death if fresh air is not introduced into the environment.
He therefore advised Nigerians to ensure their homes are properly ventilated by providing adequate windows and avoiding enclosed sleeping spaces without sufficient air circulation.
He also cautioned against locking people or animals in enclosed spaces such as vehicle boots, noting that a lack of air exchange could lead to suffocation.
Also speaking in an earlier interview with PUNCH Healthwise, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Olajumoke Ogunro, said ventilation is necessary to ensure healthy air for breathing.
She explained that poorly ventilated rooms could cause a build-up of carbon dioxide and reduce oxygen levels in the body.
“Whether you’re pregnant or not, when a room is not properly ventilated, it leads to the build-up of carbon dioxide and then low oxygen.
“That results in other adverse conditions like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, respiratory problems, shortness of breath, and irritation of the nose, eyes, and throat,” she said.
Ogunro further warned that poor ventilation during pregnancy could expose unborn babies to harmful pollutants.
She noted that such exposure could lead to complications such as stillbirth, low birth weight, premature delivery, and congenital abnormalities.
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