CleanCity IoT: A Vehicle-Mounted Platform for Real-Time Urban Air-Quality Monitoring and Forecasting in Resource-Constrained African Cities

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

• Eric Nizeyimana, School of ICT, University of Rwanda, Kigali, RwandaFollow
• Damien Hanyurwimfura, School of ICT, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
• Gabriel Uwanyirigira, School of ICT, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
• Bonaventure Karikumutima, School of ICT, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
• Jimmy Nsenga, IT, 2Guiz SPRL, Brussels, Belgium
• Irene Niyonambaza Mihigo, IT, Adventist University of Central Africa, Kigali, Rwanda

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2025

Journal Name

(IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications

Abstract

Urban air pollution is a growing public-health challenge in African cities, yet traditional monitoring stations are sparse and expensive. The paper presents CleanCity IoT, a deployed, low-cost, vehicle-mounted air-quality platform that combines IoT sensors, GSM connectivity, cloud aggregation, and machine learning to produce near-real-time exposure maps and 2- hour forecasts for multiple pollutants. Each device integrates lowcost sensors for PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, and CO₂, alongside temperature and humidity. Measurements are geotagged and transmitted over mobile networks form vehicles to a cloud backend, where data are validated, stored, and visualized through a user-friendly dashboard that also issues automated alerts and periodic reports. Using a dataset collected in Kigali and secondary cities via routine vehicular routes, the paper introduces the training of a multivariate time-series model to forecast shorthorizon pollutant levels, supporting proactive health guidance and regulatory action. The system reports a performance in terms of latency, uptime, coverage, and data quality, and evaluate forecast accuracy using MAE/RMSE/MAPE and event-oriented metrics for spike prediction. Results indicate that CleanCity IoT provides reliable, scalable, and cost-effective urban air-quality intelligence, closing key gaps in spatiotemporal coverage while enabling citizen access, policy support, and social impact. The platform demonstrates a practical blueprint for African cities to operationalize air-quality intelligence using existing mobile infrastructure and locally developed technology

Keywords

CleanCity IoT, air quality, mobile sensing, multivariate forecasting, spike detection

Rsif Scholar Name

Eric Nizeyimana

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Rwanda

Cohort

Cohort 2

Thematic Area

ICTs Including Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

Africa Host University (AHU)

University of Rwanda (UR), Rwanda

Funding Statement

The team acknowledges the support of the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology, and its African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT) for the use of their facilities and laboratory.

Recommended Citation

Nizeyimana, E., Hanyurwimfura, D., Uwanyirigira, G., Karikumutima, B., Nsenga, J., & Mihigo, I. N. (2025). CleanCity IoT: A Vehicle-Mounted Platform for Real-Time Urban Air-Quality Monitoring and Forecasting in Resource-Constrained African Cities. (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications Retrieved from https://thehive.icipe.org/rsif-all-scholars-publications/426