Albert Oppong Ansah
Accra, Sept. 30, GNA – Dr Adrian Arfire, a sensor systems and robotics engineer, has said reliable air quality data is essential for tackling pollution, and affordable sensors offer a crucial first step in protecting public health.
He made the remark during a visit to Afri-SET, the Air Quality Sensor Evaluation and Training Facility for West Africa, located at the Department of Physics, University of Ghana, ahead of the launch of the 2025 AirLAB Microsensor Challenge.
Afri-SET is partnering with Airparif, a Paris-based organisation mandated by the French Ministry of Environment to monitor air quality across the Île-de-France region, to host the Challenge in Accra.
Dr Arfire, who works in Airparif’s Meteorology and Innovation Department, said policymakers cannot act on pollution without understanding its extent, and sensors provide a practical, low-cost solution to bridge data gaps.
“You cannot really tackle a problem unless you can actually get the right information about the extent of the problem,” he said. “You need to measure air quality in order to take any sort of action to improve it.”
He explained that while regulatory-grade analysers offer the most accurate data, they are expensive and often unavailable in developing countries. Sensors, though less precise, are useful for identifying pollution hotspots, tracking daily patterns, and raising public awareness.
“Sensors can be, especially in areas that do not have access to regulatory-grade instrumentation, a first step towards getting information on what the state of the air actually is. If we have no data, then we don’t really know how to tackle the problem,” he added.
Dr Arfire, who has led the AirLAB Microsensor Challenge since 2018, said the initiative independently evaluates the performance of low-cost sensors to provide users and governments with trusted information about their reliability.
He noted that the fifth edition, currently underway, is historic for Ghana, as Accra is hosting Africa’s first sensor evaluation alongside sites in Bengaluru, India, and Paris.
He said testing sensors in Ghana would yield valuable insights due to the country’s unique meteorological and pollution conditions, including Harmattan dust.
Dr Allison Felix Hughes, Facility Manager of Afri-SET and Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Ghana, said Ghana’s distinct economic activities, energy sources, and natural phenomena such as the Harmattan present challenges that manufacturers have rarely tested for.
He noted that evaluating sensors in Ghana benefits both the country and producers by generating critical insights under these environmental conditions.
Dr Hughes explained that the deployment phase in Accra would run from mid-September to mid-January, during which sensors from around the world would be monitored for performance, usability, environmental impact, and cost.
The results will be presented at a final workshop involving experts, NGOs, and policymakers, with top-performing sensors awarded prizes in various categories.
He stressed that sensors should not be dismissed simply because they are less accurate than advanced analysers.
“Generally, sensor systems provide data that’s inferior in quality to reference monitors, but they are still an important first step into understanding the problem. Without them, there is no way to even begin addressing pollution,” he said.
Dr Hughes added that the evaluation would expose Ghana to a wider range of sensors and build local expertise.
“It allows us to learn from Airparif, improve our skills, and transfer knowledge into the trainings we regularly organise for stakeholders. It also means the public will ultimately benefit from better data and better tools to protect themselves,” he said.
Ghana is the first African country to host the AirLAB Microsensor Challenge, an initiative expected to build local capacity, attract funding, and provide valuable insights into air pollution management.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey