Akwa Ibom State has emerged the Cleanest State in Nigeria for a sixth time in six years under Project Circus Review tagged STONE PRO-MAX 2023, with a cumulative score of 72 per cent.
Since inauguration of the project in 2018, Akwa Ibom has won the first position in six years in a row as the cleanest state in Nigeria.
Announcing the result in Uyo on Tuesday, Prince Ene Baba Owoh, Jr., National Coordinator/Secretary, National Technical Study Group (NTSG) on Clean Up Nigeria, congratulated the government and people of Akwa Ibom State for emerging the sixth time the overall Cleanest State in Nigeria.
Owoh said such performance indicators as Streets/Roads Cleanliness, Vegetation/Drain age Control, Waste Management Services, Public Opinion Poll (POP), Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on hygiene and sanitation of the people, And 2023 Bonus mark were used in arriving at the overall results for all the states.
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“For emerging the overall best performing state in the six years performance indicators and five times cleanest state in Nigeria under the six years project circus review period (2018-2023) tagged STONE Pro-Max 2023. Akwa Ibom State will be conferred with the STONE 2023 Pro-Max 2018-2023 cleanest State in Nigeria Green Crystal Award.
“It is therefore our privilege to proudly invite the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA) Hon. Obong Prince Ikim to come forward to receive the cleanest state in Nigeria Pro-max Green Crystal Awards certification in all the five performance indicators and the STONE Pro-max (2018-2023) five times cleanest state in Nigeria, Green Crystal Award,” he said.
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Owoh announced Ebonyi and FCT following Akwa Ibom in second and third positions with 50 and 47 per cent scores respectively.
He, therefore, encouraged stakeholders to engage in peer review mechanism by making out time to visit both best performing states/cities and the backward States/Cities to gain more insights to what the top States are doing in order to improve on their performance ratings.
He also encouraged Nigerians to make that positive difference through actions in the interest of the environment; as global citizens.
“We salute Akwa Ibom State, the Pro-Max 2023 Cleanest state in Nigeria. Remember a Clean Nigeria is possible,” he said.
Reacting to the award, the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Uno Etim Uno commended Clean Up Nigeria Initiative for the recognition and recommended that a strong message be passed to sensitize Nigerians to stay off practices that could negatively impact the environment.
“Outcomes of climate change are major threats to the survival of the environment,” he cautioned.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Barr Iquo Abia, the Commissioner urged major stakeholders to prepare to effectively implement recommendations reached at the meeting.
He pledged readiness of the state government to continue to work to ensure a safe and secure environment through institutional framework that would support a safe environment.
The Commissioner also pledged government commitment to proper waste management, end to gas flaring and other practices that threaten the serenity of the environment.
“Again we appreciate Clean Up Nigeria for finding us worthy of the award of the cleanest state in Nigeria for the last five years running. We do not take the award for granted, it is a call to do more.”
Reacting to the award, the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA), Prince Akpan Ikim paid glowing tribute to former Governor Victor Attah for creating the agency by signing into law the Akwa Ibom State Environmental protection and Waste Management Agency CAP 47 law 2000.
He also acknowledged former Governor Godswill Akpabio who built the receptacle maintenance and workshop at Itam, for proper waste disposal and management.
“Then Udom Emmanuel came, and had that political will to constitute the board and gave us all the necessary supports and we started winning the cleanest state in 2018.
‘‘Then Governor Umo Eno has given us the necessary support, it is on record that he is the first governor that has joined us for environmental sanitation.
“He has given us a matching order to ensure that the state remains cleanest in Nigeria, ranging from the vegetation, there is what we call the environmental sustainability. We are looking at recycling waste to wealth, among others.
“So, we are working with the House of Assembly Committee on Environment for a law that has to be in tune with international best practices, the law has to be such that would encourage investors to come in. That is why we are also liaising with AKICORP so that anyone who has investment that has to do with waste would register with them,” Ikim stated.
He commended Clean Up Nigeria Initiative for recognizing excellence and pledge to keep Akwa Ibom as a model clean state in Nigeria.
