Oluwafunbi Bello 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Akwa Ibom retains its position as Nigeria’s cleanest state for the eighth consecutive year with a 79 per cent cleanliness score, according to the 2025 Clean-Up Nigeria report.
But the nationwide picture is bleak, with 187 million Nigerians—78 per cent of the population—living in unclean environments.
Clean-Up Nigeria Coordinator, Ene Owoh reveals a troubling rise in sanitation-related diseases, increasing from 29 per cent in 2024 to 43 per cent in 2025, while sanitation-worker health declines to 28 per cent. “Life expectancy has dropped from 50 years to 47 years,” Owoh warns.
Regional champions include Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Plateau, Lagos and Kaduna, with nine states achieving clean status. Open defecation drops slightly to 19 per cent, but Nigeria remains the world’s second-highest offender.
The study, led by Prof Solomon Balogun, uses physical verification and satellite imagery, assessing street cleanliness, waste management, drainage, vegetation control and public hygiene.
Owoh calls for urgent national investment, more public toilets and stronger environmental education in schools. He commends First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s green initiative and urges government adoption of a nationwide green agenda.
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Mirian Gom 
Otamere Gladness 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu