The seventh edition of the State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE) report has revealed that no fewer than 179 million people in Nigeria live in unclean environments.
This represents an improvement compared to 183 million recorded in 2023.
The report, signed by Mr. Ene Owoh, National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria (CUN), was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
According to Owoh, the study’s indicators are designed to promote comprehensive environmental policies targeting governments at all levels and citizens.
“The 2024 zonal rating has significant merits and is expected to improve Nigeria’s national cleanliness index rating,” Owoh stated.
Progress and setbacks in sanitation
He noted a slight improvement in reducing open defecation, which dropped from 24% in 2023 to 20% in 2024.
However, he highlighted a decline in waste recycling efforts, which fell from 26% in 2023 to 19% in 2024, attributing the drop to rising poverty levels.
“Nigeria’s sanitation situation is a mixed bag,” Owoh said, emphasizing the importance of environmental cleanliness and sustainable waste management.
States leading in hygiene practices
The findings also revealed that only seven states demonstrated good personal hygiene and sanitation practices among their citizens, underscoring the need for broader improvements in environmental and public health efforts.
- Owoh announced that the annual Cleanliness Performance Index ranked Akwa Ibom and Abuja as the cleanest states in Nigeria, demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability.
“Akwa Ibom recently unveiled significant waste management equipment upgrades alongside efforts to improve citizen sanitation, offering valuable insights for other states to emulate,” he noted.
- According to Owoh, who is also the Secretary of the National Technical Study Group (NTSG), the zonal emphasis fosters regional integration, making the competition more relevant to local environments. The cleanliness index rating aims to address specific challenges in each state and drive positive changes for a cleaner and more sustainable Nigeria.
“The zonal approach will facilitate interstate collaboration and partnerships, encouraging states to adopt effective strategies to tackle their unique environmental challenges and work towards a healthier nation,” Owoh stated.
Zonal champions for 2024
He also announced the six zonal cleanest state champions for 2024, as recognized by the Cleanliness Performance Index chaired by Prof. Solomon Balogun, Chairman of the STONE NTSG. The champions include:
- South-South: Akwa Ibom
- South-East: Enugu
- South-West: Lagos
- North-Central: Plateau
- North-East: Borno
- North-West: Kaduna
“These states were awarded the prestigious STONE Green Crystal Award for their achievements. Highlighting successes and challenges within each zone inspires citizens to take greater responsibility for their local environments,” Owoh added.
Promoting healthy competition for a cleaner Nigeria
The zonal rating, backed by six years of effective data collection and analysis (2018–2023), promotes healthy competition and self-improvement among states.
- This approach drives targeted interventions and showcases best practices, ultimately enhancing environmental cleanliness and sustainability across Nigeria.
- Owoh explained that the zonal ratings offer a more accurate assessment of strengths and weaknesses within each zone, allowing states to benchmark their performance against one another.
He assured that this approach would foster healthy competition, encourage self-improvement, and drive targeted interventions to implement and showcase best practices.
