…as Abuja emerges Nigeria’s cleanest city
A report on the state of the Nigerian environment, released by a frontline Non-Governmental Organisation, Clean Up Nigeria, CUN, says over 176.3 million Nigerians are living in unclean environment in 2022.
It also indicated an increase of over 4 million in the population of Nigerians living in unclean environment from the 172 million recorded in 2021.
Founder and Coordinator of Clean Up Nigeria, Prince Ene Baba Owo, who delivered the report at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, noted that incidents and prevalence of sanitation-related diseases has increased from 32 per cent to 51 per cent in Nigeria.
According to Owo, the intakes were elevated 51.2 per cent more because of the flood disaster in the last quarter of 2022.
“Inadequate sanitation/hygiene practices of the people in over thirty-five (35) States and the FCT was made worst by flooded that effected most communities as people are made to live in unhabitual situation to survive.
“There has been no increase in the number of states with sanitary landfills beside Lagos, Oyo, Abuja and Bauchi while the remaining 34 States operate open dumping. This development is not only alarming but clearly indicate lack of seriousness by government at levels to key into the global best practices of waste modernization with related benefit,” he said.
The report however named Abuja as the cleanest city in Nigeria for the year 2022 with 79 per cent scores, closely followed by Uyo with 63 per cent.
While Akwa Ibom was named the cleanest State for the year 2022 with a cumulative score of 62 per cent, Ebonyi and Bauchi emerged second and third cleanest states with 45 per cent and 41 per cent scores respectively.
On open defecation, the report noted that the practice of open defecation in all the 36 states of the federation and FCT has reduced from 34 per cent in 2021 to 28 per cent in 2022, adding that Nigeria, nevertheless, still remains the number one country in the world that leads in open defecation since 2018 to 2022.
“Less than 10% compared to 2% in 2021 improvement was recorded in the procurement of waste management equipment by less than 3 States in the country in 2022, and with working drop in waste management equipment as most previously on ground became unserviceable couple with high cost of service provision especially diesel salary at over 900 Naira against N250,000 naira in 2022.
“Funding by States/Local Government Councils for waste management services has reduced drastically when compared to the increase services offered. This equally calls for serious incremental review on the part of governments at all levels to help 5 confront the challenges of ensuring a cleaner, healthy and safer environment.
“Improvement of the health of sanitation workers employed both by government and private sectors to provide waste management services fell from 36% in 2021 to 16% in 2022.
“Less than three (3) States who scored above 40% can be considered to be clean, compared to 2021 when there were four (4) States (Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Bauchi States) and four (4) cities namely; (Abuja, Uyo, Bauchi and Abakiliki) can be said to be clean in year 2022.”
“As our graphic chart statistics on monitoring/evaluation of the States have shown only 7 States (Akwa Ibom, Abuja, Cross River, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kaduna) who scored above 10% out of the 30% on the streets/roads cleanliness indicators have clean roads in the country.
“Vegetation/drainage control shows that only Akwa Ibom Lagos Island and FCT scored above 7% from the 15% marks have effectively managed and sustain vegetation /drainage control, in the country.
“On personal hygiene and sanitation only four States (Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Cross River and Abuja City) scored above 4% of the 15% and can be said to come close to possession of good personal hygiene/sanitation practices in the country,” the report read.