Proactive Adaptive Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Management in Overcrowded University Lecture Theatres in South East, Nigeria: A Review

Overcrowding in university lecture theatres in South-East Nigeria has exacerbated poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and inadequate ventilation, with adverse effects on students' health, comfort and academic performance. This systematic review examines the need for a proactive adaptive ventilation and IAQ management framework in this context. Literature from 2015-2025 indicates that theatres in institutions such as UNN, FUTO, and NAU often operate at over 250% of design capacity, with recorded CO2 concentrations of 2000-4000 ppm and indoor temperatures above 31°C, significantly exceeding ASHRAE 62.1 and WHO thresholds of 1000 ppm and 27°C respectively. Existing ventilation systems are largely natural, static and reactive, incapable of responding to dynamic occupancy fluctuations. Furthermore, most intelligent ventilation models are developed for temperate climates and are cost-intensive. This review synthesizes evidence on IoT sensing, predictive analytics, and adaptive control to propose a low-cost, four-layer framework encompassing data acquisition, processing and prediction, decision and control, and feedback management. The framework provides a proactive strategy for sustaining healthy learning environments in overcrowded South-East Nigerian universities.