Akwa Ibom has once again emerged as Nigeria’s cleanest state for 2025, securing an overall rating of 79 per cent in the latest State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE 2025) assessment.
We gathered that the announcement was made by Mr. Ene Owoh, National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria, on Wednesday in Abuja.
“Akwa Ibom won the Stone 2025 Unbroken Green Crystal award Trophy and medal of service award for the 8th consecutive times, from 2018 to 2025,” he said.
Owoh, who also serves as Secretary of the National Technical Study Group (NTSG), explained that the ranking was based on findings from the STONE 2025 environmental review and the Cleanliness Performance Index Ratings conducted nationwide in Abuja.
“Ebonyi and Enugu State followed closely, ranking 2nd and 3rd place with 65 per cent and 56 per cent respectively,” he added.
He noted that each geopolitical zone produced a cleanliness frontrunner: Akwa Ibom (South-South) with 79 per cent; Enugu (South-East) with 65 per cent; Lagos (South-West) with 48 per cent; Bauchi (North-East) with 50 per cent; Plateau (North-Central) with 52 per cent; and Kaduna (North-West) with 35 per cent.
According to him, nine states made the clean list for 2025: Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, Anambra, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the 15-member NTSG, chaired by Prof. Solomon Balogun, conducted the annual study between November 2024 and November 2025. The research methodology combined on-ground inspections across states—weighted at 20 per cent—with satellite imagery analysis, which accounted for 80 per cent of the scoring.
The evaluation relied on five key indicators: street and road cleanliness, vegetation and drainage control, efficiency of waste management services, public opinion poll, and knowledge, attitude, and practice of hygiene and sanitation among citizens.
The report highlighted an 8 per cent improvement in the acquisition of waste management equipment by various levels of government in 2025. However, it also pointed to worrying trends.
Owoh noted that the health of sanitation workers declined from 31 per cent in 2024 to 28 per cent in 2025. “The incidence of sanitation-related diseases increased to 43 per cent in 2025, against 29 per cent recorded in 2024,” he said.
He added that hygiene and sanitation practices among the population also dropped to 32 per cent, compared to 36 per cent in the previous year. While open defecation reduced from 24 per cent in 2024 to 19 per cent in 2025, Nigeria still ranks as the second-highest country globally in open defecation.
The STONE report further revealed that 187.2 million Nigerians—out of an estimated population of 240 million—live in unclean environments, based on satellite data. It also indicated a dip in life expectancy, falling from 50 years in 2024 to 47 years in 2025.
Owoh urged federal, state, and local governments to scale up investment in waste management services and encouraged citizens to adopt better hygiene practices.
He called for increased construction of public toilets to curb open defecation and supported the establishment of health and environment clubs in schools to boost environmental education.
He also expressed the organisation’s readiness to collaborate with both government and private institutions to improve cleanliness scores nationwide.
Owoh commended Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Wife of the President, for her green initiative and encouraged the Tinubu administration to adopt a comprehensive green environmental policy with emphasis on sustainable cities, environmental stewardship, energy innovation, and resource management.
