Akwa-Ibom Retains Cleanest State Title For 8th Straight Year
By NINI NDUONOFIT-AKOH
AKWA Ibom State has been named Nigeria’s cleanest state for 2025, earning an impressive score of 79 per cent, according to the State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE) Report 2025. This marks the eighth consecutive year the state has clinched the top spot.
Ene Owoh, National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria and secretary of the National Technical Study Group (NTSG), announced the achievement in Abuja on Wednesday. He said Akwa Ibom received the Stone 2025 Unbroken Green Crystal award trophy and a medal of service for its sustained environmental performance from 2018 to 2025.
Following Akwa Ibom in the rankings were Ebonyi State with 65 per cent and Enugu State with 56 per cent. The report also highlighted regional champions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Lagos in the South-West, Bauchi in the North-East, Plateau in the North-Central, and Kaduna in the North-West.
The nine cleanest states overall are Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, Anambra, Lagos, and the FCT. The assessment, conducted between November 2024 and November 2025 by a 15-member technical team led by Professor Solomon Balogun, combined physical inspections (20%) with satellite imagery analysis (80%). Key evaluation factors included street cleanliness, waste management, drainage control, public hygiene awareness, and citizen practices.
Despite top performers like Akwa Ibom, the report raised concerns over national sanitation and public health trends. The health of sanitation workers fell to 28 per cent, while sanitation-related diseases rose to 43 per cent. Overall hygiene practices dropped, though open defecation decreased slightly from 24 to 19 per cent. The report also noted Nigeria’s life expectancy fell from 50 to 47 years.
Owoh called for greater investment in waste management, more public toilets, and environmental education in schools. He also commended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s green initiatives and urged the federal government to adopt a comprehensive green agenda.
Prince Ikim, former chairperson of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, praised the state’s commitment to sustainability and thanked Governor Umo Eno for supporting environmental initiatives. He highlighted the agency’s achievements over the past eight years, emphasizing the collective effort of staff, partners, and the media in promoting cleanliness.
