The seventh edition of the public presentation of the State of the Nigerian Environment (STONE) has rated Akwa-Ibom State in the South-South, Enugu State in the Southeast, Lagos State in the South-West, Plateau State in the North-Central, Borno State in the North-East, and Kaduna State in the North-West as the cleanest states in Nigeria.

The National Coordinator, Ene Baba Owoh, disclosed this at an event organised by Cleanup Nigeria in Abuja with the theme, “STONE 2024 Unplugged.”

The event announced the six zonal cleanest state champions in Nigeria, alongside the annual Cleanliness Performance Index Rating.

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The study shows that 179 million people in Nigeria are living in an unclean environment, compared to 183 million in 2023. Life expectancy in Nigeria fell from 44 years in 2023 to 40 years in 2024.

These six zonal cleanliness champions were awarded the prestigious STONE Green Crystal Award in 2024.

The organisation aims to highlight the importance of environmental cleanliness and sustainability in Nigeria, recognising the efforts of the six zonal cleanliness champions and encouraging others to follow suit.

Nigeria’s sanitation situation is a mixed bag. On one hand, the country has seen a slight improvement in reducing open defecation, from 24% in 2023 to 20% in 2024.