Cleaning up Nigeria’s states

RECENTLY, Akwa Ibom was ranked as Nigeria’s cleanest state in Nigeria for 2025. The ranking done through the State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE) Report 2025 by the Nigeria Technical Study Group (NTSG) gave the state a score of 79 percent. National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria, Mr Ene Owoh, enthused: “Akwa Ibom won the STONE 2025 Unbroken Green Crystal Award trophy and medal of service award for eight consecutive times, from 2018 to 2025.” This year, Ebonyi and Enugu State followed it closely with scores of 65 percent and 56 percent, respectively, while the six geopolitical zones produced cleanliness champions as follows: Akwa Ibom State (South-South, 79 percent), Enugu State (South-East, 65 percent), Lagos State (South-West, 48 percent), Bauchi State (North-East, 50 percent), Plateau State (North-Central, 52 percent), and Kaduna State (North-West, 35 percent). Nigeria’s nine cleanest states are Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, Anambra, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

According to Owoh, “The 15-member NTSG led by Professor Solomon Balogun conducted the yearly study from November 2024 to November 2025. The study combined physical verification of all states and towns in Nigeria with a score point of 20 percent and a satellite imagery system that collects spectral data, scoring 80 percent monthly. The study used five variables, namely: street/road cleanliness, vegetation and drainage control, waste management services, public opinion poll (POP), and knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of hygiene and sanitation measures by the people. The report stated that in 2025, there was an 8 percent performance in the procurement of waste management equipment by governments at all levels. The incidence of sanitation-related diseases increased to 43 percent in 2025, against the 29 percent recorded in 2024. The hygiene and sanitation practice of the people dropped to 32 percent in 2025, against the 36 percent recorded in 2024. Open defecation reduced from 24 percent in 2024 to 19 per cent in 2025, but Nigeria remains the second country with the highest open defecation rating globally. Notably, in 2025, out of Nigeria’s estimated 240 million population, 187.2 million people are living in unclean environments, based on satellite imagery data.”

We commend the Akwa Ibom State government for leading the way in public cleanliness. We also commend the governments of the states that produced geopolitical champions. Environmental sanitation is a serious issue. Going by the STONE report, life expectancy dropped from 50 years in 2024 to 47 years in 2025. This is why the organisation, Clean-Up Nigeria, urged governments at all levels to increase funding for waste management services, build more public toilets to reduce open defecation, and establish health and environment clubs in schools nationwide to promote environmental awareness. This is evidently a patriotic call. Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness, and there is a reason Nigeria’s name does not feature among Africa’s cleanest countries. When the world thinks of Africa’s cleanest countries, it thinks of countries like Rwanda, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Seychelles, and Mauritius.  Environmental Performance Index (EPI) reports show that these countries promote strong environmental policies and innovative approaches to waste and sustainability.  Rwanda is known for its spotless capital, Kigali, its 2008 plastic bag ban, not to mention its high waste collection rates. Gabon has received plaudits for its rainforest preservation, low deforestation rates, and strong environmental policies. Zimbabwe is noted for its robust recycling laws, and “Clean City” programmes, and Botswana for the use of tech to improve waste collection efficiency. Seychelles’ focus on marine protection, Mauritius’ waste-to-energy plant and green building designs, and Tunisia’s tracking of waste management have been lauded many times. Yes, Nigeria has a large population, but that is no excuse for living like brutes.

The linkage between cleanliness and public health safety has been long recognised. Cleanliness reduces the spread of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea; reduces breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying vectors, boosts mental health and reduces stress, and helps in maintaining air and water quality, essential for human health. But Nigeria is filthy, and as experts have long stressed, its refuse disposal faces major hurdles like inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, weak policy enforcement, and low public awareness, leading to overflowing dumps, clogged drains, and significant health and environmental hazards. There are systemic issues in collection, recycling, and political will hindering effective management despite growing waste volumes.

As we have said time and again, all of this is due to leadership problems. Leaders recreate society in their own image and as we recently noted on this page, if the leadership recruitment process is execrably filthy, how is the outcome expected to be decent, even for the environment? Each time it rains, you see Nigerians happily dumping refuse in the drainage. Motorparks look life refuse dumps, the streets are littered with waste, and many homes lack sanitation facilities. We have seen no reason to change our submission that Nigeria’s major cities are breeding grounds for diseases, and that efforts to make a change are circumscribed by politics, corruption and indecency in public office.

Governments should change tactics. They should take the enforcement of environmental laws more seriously. Making Nigeria cities cleaner would require proper waste management systems, including trash collection and recycling schemes; increased public awareness and education on proper waste disposal, and strict enforcement of laws and penalties for littering and dumping trash illegally. It would also mean investing in street cleaning and maintenance, encouraging community-led clean-up initiatives and improving public infrastructure, like installing more refuse bins and toilets. It is time for a change.