Enugu State has been awarded N100 million and named the cleanest state in Nigeria, following its outstanding performance in environmental sanitation and tree planting under the Renewed Hope Initiative Green Nigeria Challenge, unveiled by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The First Lady launched the initiative during a quarterly meeting with Wives of State Governors and RHI Coordinators at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The nationwide challenge is designed to encourage environmental responsibility among households, communities, and states through tree planting and cleanliness efforts.
“They earned it. It is not only in planting trees, but in environmental cleanliness. If you go to Enugu, Enugu is clean,” the First Lady said, while presenting a N100 million cheque and plaque to Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, wife of the Enugu State Governor, who received the award on behalf of the state as the “Model Green State.”
Senator Tinubu praised Enugu’s commitment to environmental upkeep and recalled a conversation with Mrs. Mbah about how swiftly the state addresses cleanliness.
“When she sees anything that the governor doesn’t want to see — any litter around — they call and fix it immediately. And I think that’s the best way to go,” she said.
The Green Nigeria Challenge, themed “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow”, is divided into three competitive categories: Households, Communities, and States. The initiative offers N20 million to the best-performing household, N50 million to the top community, and N100 million to the most outstanding state. With Enugu already recognised, it is excluded from the ongoing state-level competition.
The Household Category is focused on 11 northern states—Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara—which are most vulnerable to desertification. Participating households are required to plant at least one tree to qualify.
The Community Category invites participation from local governments, youth groups, schools, and NGOs to rehabilitate and transform degraded or abandoned spaces into parks, gardens, and eco-friendly areas.
The State Category focuses on the extent of tree coverage along major roads and within inner streets, encouraging broader government involvement in greening public spaces.
Reflecting on the personal inspiration behind the programme, Senator Tinubu said, “As a biologist, I’ve always loved to go clean. During the time my husband was governor of Lagos State, I used to go clean clogged drains. I was young, and I used a lot of energy.”
She emphasized the importance of leading by example, stating, “People have to see you do what you want them to do. And it’s more appealing and attractive that way.”
The First Lady also shared insights from the recent G20 Summit in Brazil, where plastic waste and ocean pollution were among global environmental concerns.
“One of the things they are going to be looking at is plastic waste. Every country is buying into it, cleaning their oceans and waterways because the fauna in the sea is being affected by waste dumped into the sea,” she said.
She noted that RHI is working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment to address such environmental issues.
“We are working with the Minister of Environment. We’ve had several meetings, including one in Lagos, and teams have visited Ghana to learn more,” she revealed.
Future plans under the initiative include the establishment of Environmental Clubs in senior secondary schools and Environmental Societies in tertiary institutions. According to the First Lady, the modalities for these clubs are currently being finalised.
Speaking after receiving the award, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah expressed gratitude to the First Lady and commended Governor Peter Mbah, state officials, and the people of Enugu for their contributions toward the state’s environmental achievements.
“First, I want to thank the First Lady and the mother of the nation for recognizing Enugu State as a green and clean state. I also want to thank my husband, the Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for his tireless effort to keep Enugu clean and green. I thank the commissioners, the local government chairmen, and relevant agencies like ESWAMA for their efforts too,” she said.
Mrs. Mbah stressed the importance of proactive leadership in maintaining cleanliness.
“The key to keeping the state clean and green is not just by giving instructions, but also by being proactive, moving around, carrying out inspection, and doing all the needful. They had actually helped in making Enugu State clean,” she added.
She assured the First Lady of the state’s continued commitment to environmental excellence.
“I promised Her Excellency the First Lady that we will not relent. We will keep pushing to remain that role model state,” she stated.
As the RHI Green Nigeria Challenge progresses, the initiative is expected to foster a culture of environmental responsibility nationwide. Key deadlines for submissions in the remaining categories are set for 2026.
