A list of top ten dirtiest states in Nigeria has been revealed.
Nigeria is an indigenous country filled with many individuals from over 300 tribes present in the country. It is also the most populated country on the African continent and the overpopulation menace is often accompanied by large wastes generated by citizens.
The country is also still referred to as one of the many developing nations of the world and one popular issue often faced by countries tagged as “developing nations” waste mismanagement and Nigeria is not an exception to this.
Many Nigerians are dirty and a walk or drive by around some of the rural/undeveloped communities in states like Lagos will leave you marveled at how dirty some Nigerians can be. This is not entirely the fault of the people though as the government has a hand in that by not providing the appropriate waste management facilities like dump trucks, good waste bins and environmental officers to ensure wastes are properly disposed.
Most Nigerian states are dirty and that is a fact but some states are dirtier than others and in this article, we shall be taking a look at the dirtiest Nigerian states right now.
The ranking data for this post is gotten from various online polls to get what average Nigerians think and also from NGOs including some like Clean-Up Nigeria, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and more.
Below is the list of top 10 dirtiest states in the country:
1. Lagos State
Lagos state is Nigeria’s richest and most developed state but it still lags in the area of general cleanliness and waste management. This is largely because of the overpopulation and mass urban migration this state is currently facing and this doesn’t seem like its going to get better anytime soon.
A visit to some of the most popular bus stops and even roads will leave you wowed at how dirty Lagos state can be even as it ranked as the most developed state in the country. Many believe that the dirtiness problem of Lagos state is due to the mismanagement and under-funding problem of the states waste management agency – LAWMA while others believe that most Lagosians are just dirty by default.
Lagos state is currently ranked as the dirtiest state in Nigeria and while the state might be one of the finest and developed states in the country, the officials in this state need to do more about sensitizing and handling the enormous waste generated by its inhabitants.
2. Abia State
Abia state is another dirty Nigerian state and this menace is largely attributed to the incompetent officials handling the affairs of the state for long. Unlike Lagos, Abia state is not faced with the problem of overpopulation but it is still very dirty.
Aba, Nigeria’s biggest manufacturing and commercial hub is one of the cities in Abia state which is currently challenged with this problem of dirtiness with trash dumped all over the place and nobody seems to care.
To add to the already existing waste problems of Abia state, the state is also faced with erosion and flooding and this makes some areas in the state extremely uncomfortable to live in if one cares about living a healthy life.
3. Anambra State
Anambra is another South-western Nigerian state which is faced with the problem of untidiness. It is also ranked as the third dirtiest state in the country.
This state’s dirtiness problem is mostly due to the to the incompetency of waste management officials and also the inhabitants who also don’t seem to care. A visit to the most popular city in the state, Onitsha will leave you shocked at how unkempt the city looks.
Most believe that the Anambra state government is not doing enough to punish waste offenders and revive the state’s waste management agency. Thankfully, the current governor is doing his best to curb this problem.
4. Kogi State
Kogi state is one of the least developed states in the country and this underdevelopment is mostly accompanied with the issue of dirtiness amongst inhabitants who are poorly educated on the dangers of not taking adequate care of their environment.
The state is also partly faced by the issue of insurgency and banditry which are currently ravaging the northern parts of Nigeria and this may be one of the reasons why waste management is often overlooked by the state government because the have more pressing issues to face.
5. Kano State
Kano state is Nigeria’s second most populated state and as expected, the state is also hit with the problem of waste mismanagement. The state is also one Northern state with very high economic activities but the environment is still nothing to write home about.
Most of Kano’s markets and bustops are littered by people because of the lack of refuse trucks, waste bins and environmental officials. Corruption also plays a big role in what the the state finds herself in today as most funds mapped out for funding waste management agencies are stolen by corrupt public officials.
6. Osun State
Osun state is the second South-Western state on this list and one of Nigeria’s dirtiest states. The waste problem which this state is currently facing is due to the recklessness of its inhabitants when disposing their dirt and also some blame goes to the state government for failing in their duty of managing its waste management agency properly.
Most marketplaces and main roads in this state are extremely dirty and people living there also dump their refuse in crazy places like on the road and anywhere they wish to.
7. Nassarawa State
Nassarawa State although home of some of Nigeria’s many mineral resources is still one state in Nigeria which is currently battling with the issue of dirtiness. This state is also coincidentally located right beside on of Nigeria’s cleanest cities, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The state is also one of those Northern states in the country which is also battling with the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry and many believe this may also have contributed to its uncleanliness problem.
8. Zamfara State
Zamfara state is also one Nigerian state which is hit badly by terrorism, illetracy and corruption. These vices have contributed immensely to the bad situation which the state currently finds herself in.
A visit to some of the most popular cities in this state will leave you wowed at the level of waste mismanagement in the state. As said earlier, corruption is the major issue here as more funds which were meant to be used in funding these waste management agencies are nowhere to be found.
9. Kaduna State
Kaduna state is Northern Nigeria’s economic stronghold but its is also faced with the issue of dirtiness from its inhabitants. The state’s waste management agency – Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) is also not doing so well in what it was created to do.
The state Kaduna state have done a good job in cleaning some of the top cities like the capital city clean but has neglected other minor cities and small towns in their waste management strive.
10. Ogun State
Lagos nearest neighbor, Ogun state is also another South-Western Nigerian state which is currently facing problems in managing the waste generated by her people.
The Ogun state government might be doing a good job in keeping the state’s capital city clean, but most of the small towns, cities, and marketplaces are still very dirty and filled with refuse dumps hence earning the state a spot on this list of the dirtiest Nigerian states this year.
