By Akakan Umoh
Six zonal cleanest state champions in Nigeria that emerged were conferred with the prestigious STONE Green Crystal Award in 2024, Clean-Up Nigeria (CUN) announced.
The National Coordinator of CUN and Secretary of the National Technical Study Group (NTSG), Prince Ene Baba Owoh, Jr. announced the champions during the seventh edition of the public presentation of the State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE) held in Abuja.
‘‘Akwa Ibom State is the cleanest state in the South-South, Enugu State in the South-East, Lagos State in the South-West, Plateau State in the North-Central, Bauchi State in the North-East, and Kaduna State in the North-West,’’ Owoh revealed.
Related post: Akwa Ibom Emerges Cleanest State In Nigeria for a 6th time
A press release made available to Straightnews in Uyo shows that the event organised by the Clean-Up Nigeria is a yearly Cleanliness Performance Index Rating, and was chaired by Professor Solomon Balogun.
On the methodology, Owoh explained that the members of National Technical Study Group combined physical verification with satellite imagery, allocating 30% scores to physical verification and 70% to satellite data. This approach utilized the GEO- EYE- ONE technology to collect spectral image data at 0.14 meters or 16 inches from orbit, year-round
Recall that the annual Cleanliness Performance Index Rating ranked Akwa Ibom State and Abuja as the cleanest state and town, for six consecutive years from 2018 to 2023.
However, the study discovered that in 2024, more than 179 million people in Nigeria are living in unclean environment, unlike 183 million in 2023.
‘‘Life expectancy in Nigeria fell from 44 years in 2023 to 40 years in 2024.’’
The study further showed that the country has seen a slight improvement in reducing open defecation, from 24% in 2023 to 20% in 2024, pushing Nigeria from the top spot in open defecation worldwide to the second position, with India still leading.
‘‘Twenty-eight out of thirty-seven states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) outside Abuja, are rated as unclean. This is a slight increase from thirty-one states in 2023,’’ the study indicated.
‘‘In terms of waste management, only four states – Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Abia, along with Lagos – showed a 4% improvement in procurement of waste management equipment in 2024. Funding for sanitation initiatives has also decreased, and the health of sanitation workers has deteriorated, with a drop from 31% in 2023 to 28% in 2024.
‘‘On a more positive note, nine states – Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Lagos, Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, Cross River, Anambra, and Bauchi – scored above 40% in overall performance ratings and can be considered clean.
‘‘Overall, while there are some encouraging signs, Nigeria still faces significant challenges in improving its sanitation situation,’’ the Stone Study showed.
On environmental cleanliness, ‘‘nine states out of thirty-seven, including the FCT, (outside Abuja city) were found to have unclean streets and roads. Conversely, eight states have successfully managed and sustained vegetation and drainage control.
‘‘Unfortunately, waste recycling efforts have declined, dropping from 26% in 2023 to 19% in 2024. This decrease is attributed to the rising poverty levels in the country.
‘‘The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rating utilizes 58 environmental performance indicators across five key categories to rank the states.
These categories encompass:
- Air quality
- Hygiene and sanitation
- Waste management
- Climate change mitigation
- Conservation efforts, biodiversity, water resource management, and human impact on the environment.’’
The EPI provides a comprehensive policy rating of government efforts and the collective habits of citizens, offering valuable insights for improvement.
The indicators used in the study aimed to promote comprehensive environmental policies targeting governments at all levels and citizens. The 2024 zonal rating has significant merits, expected to improve Nigeria's national cleanliness index rating.
The zonal emphasis rating fosters regional integration, making the competition more relevant to local environments. By producing zonal cleanliness champions, each zone provides better representation, offering a more comprehensive picture of cleanliness across Nigeria.
Owoh observed that some states have already shown commitment to environmental sustainability. For instance, Akwa Ibom state recently launched massive improved waste equipment combined with the great Akwa Ibom cleanup initiative, Anambra State launched a sustainable clean and green program.
Meanwhile, Kwara State has congratulated clean environment champions, saying the efforts demonstrate the potential for positive change in Nigeria's environmental landscape.
The NTSG Secretary noted that increased participation in the Stone initiative is expected to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among citizens for their local environment.
”This, in turn, will enhance grassroots mobilization, empowering community leaders to champion the cause and facilitate effective data collection and analysis.
The zonal ratings will provide a more accurate assessment of strengths and weaknesses on a zonal basis, enabling states within each zone to benchmark themselves against one another.
This will promote healthy competition, driving self-improvement and targeted interventions to address specific cleanliness challenges in each state.
The zonal approach will also facilitate interstate collaboration and partnership, promoting knowledge sharing and the incorporation of best practices. Ultimately, this will propel Nigeria towards a cleaner and healthier nation.
By highlighting successes and challenges in each zone, the zonal approach will inspire positive change and showcase best practices. This, in turn, will encourage states to learn from one another and adopt effective strategies to address their unique environmental challenges.
STONE initiative is aimed at creating a more effective and engaging platform that drives positive change in Nigeria's cleanliness and environmental sustainability,” he pointed out.
