CLEAN UP NIGERIA SURVEY: Akwa Ibom State Emerges Nigeria’s Cleanest State. ….. Urges Reintroduction of National Monthly Sanitation Exercise

….. 80% of the states in the country have seriously neglected the cleaniless and vegetation control.

Oru Leonard

In a national report presented by a foremost international nongovernmental organisation (NGO), Clean Up Nigeria (CUN), Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria has been said to emerged the cleanest.

The final states summary of monitoring and evaluation report of the CUN National Technical Study Group on the nation’s cleanliness performance index ratings for states of the federation, 2021, also showed that 80% of the states in the country have seriously neglected the cleaning of gutters or drainage systems and vegetation control.

The Secretary/Coordinator of Clean Up Nigeria, Prince Ene Baba Owoh (Jr), who presented the 2021 States/Cities Cleanliness Performance Rating Index report in Abuja on Thursday, noted that the cleanliness performance index rating of all States/Towns of the federation study was carried out for a full calendar year from December 2020 to November, 2021 and was supported by International partners of Clean Up Nigeria, including the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Canada; keep America Beautiful (KAB). USA; DSZ, Germany, SUEZ Foundation, France, and Clean-Up the world, Australia.

CUN which has social and economic consultative status with the United Nations, in its recommendations urged government at all levels and communities, including individuals to, “as a matter of urgency, take seriously the aspect of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of hygiene and sanitation to improve their living conditions in order to increase the average life expectancy in Nigeria from 45 years to 55 years”.

The NGO then advised that funding allocated for sanitation and waste management should be stepped up by at least 100% by States/Local Government Councils while corporate organizations should support/ donate sanitation and waste management facilities to States/Local Councils.

While commending the donation of waste management facilities by the present administration of NDDC to some Niger Delta States in 2021 the group called on employers of labour to improve the living condition and wages of sanitation workers, in view of the unsanitary conditions that they are exposed to, suggesting that they should start by providing them with (PPE) personal protection equipment and Medicare.

“The informal sector engaged in waste recycling and refuse industry should be encouraged by Corporate organisations and government at all levels as a means of creating employment, through waste to wealth initiatives. We commend States like Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Oyo and Rivers, Kaduna and Bauchi for their efforts in this direction”, CUN stated.

The group also lamented on dangers of open defecation which need to be tackled head-on, adding that this can be achieved through partnership consideration with the private sector nationwide as it will help reduce the incidence and prevalence of diseases associated with it and increase healthier living for all.

“If we must end open defecation in the country let us start with the provision of public toilets in order to meet the 2025 target of ending open defecation and making it a reality in Nigeria.

“Nigeria continues to be rated as the country with the highest rate of open defection in the world by (WHO) Word Health Organization and we reaffirm it from our studies. It therefore becomes imperative that all hands must be on deck to reverse this ugly trend if we must meet 2025 target to end open or reduce it drastically.

“We encourage Government at all levels to partner the private sector to help address this embarrassing situation by providing public toilets/baths in public places through BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) so the people can have access to toilets.

“We encourage Government at all levels to re-introduce the monthly sanitation exercise and enforce the regular clean-up of drains with renewed energy as 80% of the States have seriously neglected the cleaning of gutter/drains and vegetation control”, CUN stressed..

Prince Ene Baba Owoh while congratulating the Akwa Ibom people  the government for making it as the Cleanest State for the year 2021 in Nigeria with a cumulative score of 64% also disclosed that the Ebonyi State emerged the second cleanest state in the country with 55% cumulative score while Bauchi State scored 44% to emerge the third.

The group also congratulated the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for emerging the cleanest city in Nigeria for year 2021 with 79% closely followed by Uyo with 63% cumulative score.

The organisation then encouraged all stakeholders to “engage in peer review mechanism by making out time to visit both the winning States/Cities and the backward States/Cities to benefit and gain more insights to what the top States are doing in order to improve their performance ratings.

Clean Up Nigeria called for set up and strengthening of health clubs in schools; “there is the need to set-up and strengthen more health and environment clubs across schools nationwide to improve and sustain the practice of hygiene and sanitation among our children.

“We urge Nigerians, among other things, to embrace strong personal hygiene and good sanitation habits and to dispose of their waste at the right places.

 

The trophy for the cleanest state in Nigeria was received by the Board Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection And Waste Management Board, Prince A. Ikim on behalf of the people and government of Akwa Ibom State.

Members of the CUN National Technical Study Group (NTSG) for the 2021 States/Cities Cleanliness Performance Rating Index in Nigeria include Prof. Solomon Balogun, Chairman; Prince Ene Baba Owoh (Jr), the Secretary/Coordinator; Chief George Harrison, Member; Rev. Francis Okolo, Member; Ansa Silva, Member; Engr. Dickson Osadolor, Member; Engr. Ahmed Abubakar, Member and Prof. Idris Umar, Member.

Other members include Dr. Chris Okoyo, Olukemi Adeola, Kyeller James – CUW, Australia; Zev. Daniel – Suez, France; Leah Hannah – KAB, USA, Aryeh Chayim – DSZ, Germany , and Joechim Harrison – ICLEI, Canada.

2021 States/Cities Cleanliness Performance Rating Index in Nigeria was arrived at through combined Physical Verification which was 20% and Satellite imagery data which formed 80%. They were applied in all the Performance Indicators on a monthly basis every quarter of the year.