A critique of the ventilation system used for public schools around gas flaring sites in the Nigeria Niger Delta area

The consideration of ventilation requirements in school buildings has significantly become a critically important factor in the academic performance of pupils in schools. Their health, concentration and performance output have been linked to the amount and quality of fresh air indoors. The ventilation systems employed in Nigerian schools are basic, simple and natural, often through windows and doors. This paper attempts to investigate the appropriateness of ventilation and specification systems used for ventilating classrooms in Nigeria based on documentary reviews of specification guidelines for school construction in other parts of the world. Using a purposive sampling and open-ended questionnaire, this paper finds that the ventilation system used in the Niger delta where gas flaring activities happens in close proximity to schools, falls short of WHO clean indoor air quality standards. Evidence shows that natural ventilation is inadequate to achieve clean indoor air quality. Improving indoor air quality in such areas require mechanical air purifier/humidifier systems, to provide satisfactory air quality. Keywords: School buildings, Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation, Air Purifiers/Humidifiers and Gas Flares