3 Best APIs for Air Quality in Nigeria

OpenWeather Air Pollution and UV API is a specialized subset of the OpenWeatherMap platform that provides real-time and forecast air quality data including pollutant concentrations, Air Quality Index values, and UV index measurements for any location worldwide. As air quality concerns grow in Nigerian cities driven by vehicle emissions, industrial activity, open burning, and seasonal Harmattan dust storms, this dedicated air quality and UV data endpoint enables Nigerian health apps, environmental platforms, and smart city projects to integrate pollution monitoring features beyond standard weather data. The Air Pollution API returns concentrations of major pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10), and ammonia (NH3). Each pollutant reading is given in micrograms per cubic meter, and the response includes an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) on a 1-5 scale (1=Good, 2=Fair, 3=Moderate, 4=Poor, 5=Very Poor). Nigerian health tech developers building pollution alert apps can use these granular pollutant readings to give targeted advisories — for example, warning asthma patients specifically when NO2 and PM2.5 are elevated, which is common near Lagos highways and industrial areas. Historical air pollution data is available through the Air Pollution History endpoint, allowing retrieval of past pollution levels for any location with a Unix timestamp range. Nigerian researchers studying the relationship between air pollution episodes and respiratory disease hospitalizations, or environmental lawyers building evidence of industrial pollution near communities, can use this historical endpoint to retrieve pollution records spanning months or years. UV Index data from the UV endpoint returns current UV Index value and time of day, along with daily forecast UV Index maximum and hourly UV progression through the day. UV radiation levels in Nigeria are high year-round due to the country's equatorial location, with UV Index values frequently reaching 8-11 (Very High to Extreme) during midday hours. Nigerian health apps promoting skin cancer awareness, outdoor workers' safety apps, and tourism platforms can integrate UV Index data to advise users on sunscreen application and shade-seeking during peak UV hours. Forecast capabilities of the Air Pollution API extend 5 days into the future with 3-hourly pollution forecasts for any location. Nigerian event planners organizing outdoor festivals or sports events can check forecast air quality before finalizing dates, and Nigerian health authorities can anticipate poor air quality episodes in advance to issue proactive public health advisories. During Harmattan season (November to March), when Sahelian dust dramatically elevates PM10 readings across northern Nigeria, the pollution forecast capability is particularly valuable. The Air Pollution and UV API uses the same OpenWeatherMap API key as the standard weather endpoints, making it easy for Nigerian developers already using OpenWeatherMap for weather data to add air quality and UV features without any additional registration. The free tier includes 1,000 calls/day shared across all OpenWeatherMap endpoints, and the air quality endpoints count toward this shared daily limit. Paid plans increase call limits and are priced the same as the broader OpenWeatherMap subscription, making it cost-efficient to bundle weather, air quality, and UV data under one account. Nigerian developers already on OpenWeatherMap can enable air quality and UV data immediately with no additional API key setup required.

Weatherbit API is a reliable, developer-friendly weather data service providing current weather conditions, 16-day daily forecasts, 120-hour hourly forecasts, historical weather, weather alerts, and air quality data for any location worldwide via a clean RESTful API. Weatherbit is widely respected for its data accuracy, comprehensive endpoint coverage, well-documented API reference, and competitive pricing that makes it accessible to Nigerian startups and developers who need more than the OpenWeatherMap free tier offers but cannot justify premium AccuWeather pricing. The 16-day daily forecast horizon is one of the longest among mid-tier weather APIs, making Weatherbit particularly useful for applications that need extended agricultural or event planning forecasts. Current weather data from Weatherbit includes temperature, apparent temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed and direction, wind gust, sea-level pressure, precipitation, snowfall (globally), snow depth, cloud coverage, visibility, solar radiation, UV index, air quality index, and a detailed weather description code. The weather description code system maps to a comprehensive set of condition descriptions covering sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, various rain intensities (light, moderate, heavy, freezing), thunderstorm types, fog, and dust/sand conditions — the last of which is directly relevant to Nigerian Harmattan season when dust and sand from the Sahara reduces visibility across the country's northern and central regions. Hourly forecasting extends 120 hours (5 days) in advance with full hourly weather variables, enabling granular short-term planning for weather-sensitive Nigerian business operations. Construction site managers can check hour-by-hour rain probability before scheduling concrete pours. Event coordinators can assess whether weather will clear by the 6pm start of an outdoor concert. Agricultural drone operators can identify the optimal spray window between rain events by examining the 5-day hourly precipitation timeline. The 16-day daily forecast is Weatherbit's extended forecast offering, providing daily minimum and maximum temperature, precipitation probability and accumulation, wind speed and direction, humidity, UV index, sunrise/sunset times, and weather description for 16 days ahead. Nigerian farmers planning crop cycle activities — planting, fertilizer application, harvest scheduling — benefit from the 16-day horizon which aligns with the two-week planning cycles common in smallholder Nigerian agriculture. Air quality data is available through Weatherbit's Air Quality API endpoint, returning PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 concentrations alongside AQI values derived from EPA standards. Nigerian environmental monitoring apps that also need weather data for context can combine Weatherbit's weather and air quality endpoints under a single API account, simplifying data source management. Weather alert notifications from Weatherbit cover severe weather warnings issued by official meteorological authorities. Nigerian alert platforms and emergency management apps can poll Weatherbit alerts for any Nigerian region and surface these official warnings to app users with appropriate geographic precision. Historical weather data from Weatherbit stretches back to 2010 with daily and hourly resolution, offering over a decade of Nigerian weather records for analysis. Nigerian agricultural research institutions, insurance actuaries calculating drought years, and climate analysts building weather-indexed products can use this historical archive. Weatherbit offers a free tier of 500 calls/day with access to current weather and 7-day forecasts. Paid plans start at $35/month for 50,000 daily calls with full access to all endpoints including historical data, 16-day forecasts, and weather alerts. Nigerian developers can start with the free tier and upgrade as usage grows.