Which are the Dirtiest Nigerian States Right Now?
Nigeria is an indigenous country that is home to people from over 300 tribes. It is also Africa’s most populous country, and the threat of overpopulation is frequently coupled with massive amounts of waste generated by inhabitants.
Nigeria is still recognized as one of the world’s many developing nations, and one common difficulty encountered by countries labelled as “developing nations” is garbage management, which Nigeria is no exception to.
Most Nigerian states are dirty, and that is a reality, but some are dirtier than others, and we will look at the dirtiest Nigerian states right now in this post.
The information for this piece was gathered from several internet polls to find out what ordinary Nigerians think, as well as NGOs such as Clean-Up Nigeria, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and others.
Let’s have a look at the current list of Nigeria’s dirtiest states without wasting any more time.
These are the 10 Dirtiest Nigerian States;
10. Benue State
Even though Benue is home to one of the country’s most prominent rivers, its residents nevertheless suffer from waterborne ailments as a result of filthy water caused by dirt and faeces thrown into the river.
Benue is one of the states in the country with the worst environmental conditions. If you live in Wurukum or Wadata, you will agree that people throw trash in drainage, roadways, and even unfinished structures.
9. Kaduna State
The state of Kaduna is Northern Nigeria’s economic powerhouse, but it also has a problem with filthy residents. Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA), the state’s trash management body, is likewise failing to deliver on its mandate.
The state of Kaduna has done an excellent job cleaning some of the major cities, such as the capital, but has overlooked other little cities and small towns in its waste management efforts.
8. Zamfara State
Terrorism, illiteracy, and corruption have all wreaked havoc on Zamfara state in Nigeria. These vices have played a significant role in the current state of affairs in the state.
A visit to some of the state’s most popular cities will astound you with the state’s level of trash mismanagement. Since previously said, corruption is a huge issue here, as more cash that were supposed to be used to pay these waste management agencies have gone missing.
7. Kano State
Kano state in Nigeria is another filthy city. Despite the fact that Kano is one of the wealthier northern states in Nigeria, with a vast population, the environment is not particularly pleasant.
When you visit some portions of the state, you would understand why it is currently one of Nigeria’s dirtiest states.
6. Ekiti State
In 2017, the state of Ekiti was named one of Africa’s dirtiest cities. You’ll be surprised to learn that Ekiti has the biggest number of people who publicly defecate, as seen by the heaps of waste found along the New Ilawe Road, Bank Road, Oja Oba, and other rural areas of the state.
Following a recent survey done by the Community-led Total Sanitation Initiative, Ekiti state was added to the list (CLTS).
5. Ogun State
Ogun state, Lagos’ closest neighbour, is likewise a South-Western Nigerian state that is now having trouble controlling rubbish generated by its citizens.
Although the Ogun state administration does an excellent job of keeping the state capital clean, most of the state’s minor towns, cities, and marketplaces are still filthy and littered with garbage dumps, earning the state a spot on this year’s list of Nigeria’s worst states.
You may be asking why Ogun state is on this list of unclean states in Nigeria; however, the state lacks an effective waste management system, making it difficult for locals to dispose of their dirt and rubbish.
4. Oyo State
This worst state contains some heavily polluted places that are a sight to behold and pose a serious health danger. Some locations, like Ogun state, have extremely poor waste management systems.
3. Anambra State
Anambra is another Nigerian state in the southwest that is plagued with untidiness. It is also the third most polluted state in the country.
The filthiness problem in this state is primarily owing to waste management officials’ incompetence, as well as the residents’ lack of concern. A visit to Onitsha, the state’s most populous metropolis, would startle you with how untidy it appears.
The majority of people believe that the state government of Anambra is not doing enough to penalize garbage offenders and resurrect the state’s waste management agency. Thankfully, the current governor is working hard to address the issue.
2. Abia State
Aba became the dirtiest city in Nigeria under the previous governor of Abia state, Theodore Orji, and even made the list of the world’s worst places to live.
Aba, Nigeria’s largest manufacturing and commercial hub, is one of the cities in Abia state that is currently plagued by filth, with waste piled everywhere and no one seeming to care.
To add to Abia state’s already existing trash problems, the state is also plagued by erosion and flooding, making some parts of the state extremely difficult to live in if one is concerned about living a healthy lifestyle.
1. Lagos State
Although Lagos is Nigeria’s wealthiest and most developed state, it still falls short in terms of overall cleanliness and trash management. This is partly due to the overcrowding and enormous urban migration that this state is currently experiencing, and it does not appear to be improving anytime soon.
Even though Lagos is the most developed state in the country, a visit to some of the most popular bus stations and even roads would leave you amazed at how filthy it can be. Many people believe that Lagos’ filth problem is caused by the state’s waste management agency, LAWMA, being mismanaged and underfunded, while others say that most Lagosians are unclean by default.
Lagos state is now regarded as Nigeria‘s dirtiest state, and despite the state is one of the best and most developed in the country, officials in this state need to do more to raise awareness and manage the massive trash generated by its residents.
Conclusion
There you have it: the most up-to-date list of Nigeria’s dirtiest states. As previously stated, the states are based on data obtained from online polls as well as respected environmental agencies and NGOs to ensure that the ranking is not biased.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you believe any of the states on this list deserved to be there? Should any of the states be abolished? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.