Akwa Ibom tops Nigeria’s cleanliness index for eighth straight year

Akwa Ibom State has once again emerged as the cleanest state in Nigeria, clinching the top spot in the 2025 State of the Nigerian Environment Report (STONE) with an impressive cumulative score of 79 per cent.

The ranking, released in Abuja on Wednesday, reaffirms the state’s long-running dominance in national cleanliness assessments.

The National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria, Mr. Ene Owoh, disclosed that Akwa Ibom also received the STONE 2025 Unbroken Green Crystal Award and the Medal of Service Award, marking its eighth consecutive victory from 2018 to 2025.

He said the findings were a product of the latest Cleanliness Performance Index Ratings conducted across all states in the country.

Ebonyi and Enugu states followed closely, placing second and third with 65 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.

Owoh explained that the assessment identified cleanliness champions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with Akwa Ibom leading the South-South, Enugu topping the South-East, Lagos emerging best in the South-West with 48 per cent, Bauchi leading the North-East with 50 per cent, Plateau ahead in the North-Central with 52 per cent, and Kaduna topping the North-West with 35 per cent.

He added that the nine cleanest states for 2025 are Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, Anambra, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory.

The report, produced by the 15-member National Technical Study Group (NTSG) led by Prof. Solomon Balogun, covered a full year of data collection from November 2024 to November 2025.

According to Owoh, the study combined 20 per cent physical verification of all states and towns with 80 per cent data derived from a satellite imagery system that monitored environmental conditions monthly.

Five key indicators were used in analysing the nation’s cleanliness profile: street and road sanitation, vegetation and drainage management, efficiency of waste management services, public opinion on hygiene, and the knowledge, attitude, and practices of citizens regarding sanitation.

The report highlighted an 8 per cent improvement in the procurement of waste management equipment by all tiers of government in 2025.

However, sanitation worker health declined from 31 per cent in 2024 to 28 per cent in 2025, while sanitation-related diseases surged to 43 per cent, up from 29 per cent the previous year.

Hygiene practices among citizens also dropped from 36 per cent in 2024 to 32 per cent in 2025.

Despite a reduction in open defecation from 24 per cent to 19 per cent, Nigeria still ranks as the second worst country globally in open defecation rates.

The report further revealed that an estimated 187.2 million Nigerians, out of a population of 240 million, live in unclean environments based on satellite data.

The STONE 2025 findings also indicated a worrying decline in life expectancy, which fell from 50 years in 2024 to 47 years in 2025.

Owoh urged federal, state, and local governments to increase their investment in waste management services, while calling on Nigerians to take hygiene practices seriously.

He advocated for the construction of more public toilets to reduce open defecation, and encouraged the establishment of health and environment clubs in schools to deepen environmental awareness.

Owoh also reaffirmed Clean-Up Nigeria’s readiness to partner with both government and the private sector to boost the country’s cleanliness profile.

He commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her green initiative and advised the federal government to pursue a robust environmental agenda that integrates green economy principles, nature-based living, sustainable resource management, and energy research.

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