Enugu State has emerged as Nigeria’s cleanest and greenest state, earning the prestigious N100 million “Model Green State” award under the newly launched Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Green Nigeria Challenge.
The award was presented by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday during the quarterly meeting with Wives of State Governors and RHI Coordinators.
The Green Nigeria Challenge, an environmental initiative by the RHI, is designed to encourage tree planting, environmental cleanliness and climate-conscious living across three key categories: Households, Communities, and States. The top prizes are N20 million, N50 million, and N100 million for each category, respectively.
Enugu State, represented by the governor’s wife Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, received the grand prize of N100 million and a plaque from the First Lady, who commended the state’s consistent efforts in environmental management.
“They earned it. It’s not just about planting trees, Enugu is clean,” Senator Tinubu said, praising the swift responsiveness of the Enugu State government in addressing environmental concerns.
She recalled a discussion with Mrs. Mbah about how the state handles sanitation issues with urgency.
“If anything undesirable is seen, they respond immediately. That’s the way to go,” she added.
The RHI Green Nigeria Challenge carries the slogan “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow” and aims to inspire collective action through environmental transformation projects.
- Household Category: Targeted at families in 11 northern states prone to desertification — including Borno, Kano, Sokoto, and Yobe — encouraging the planting of at least one tree per household.
- Community Category: Open to youth groups, NGOs, schools, and local governments across Nigeria to reclaim abandoned or degraded areas by converting them into green parks or gardens.
- State Category: A competition among states (excluding Enugu) based on visible tree cover, roadside landscaping, and environmental cleanliness.
Entries for the competition are open at www.rhinitiative.org, with deadlines set in 2026.
Senator Tinubu reflected on her environmental activism during her husband’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State, recalling personal efforts to clean clogged drains and promote sanitation.
“People have to see you do what you want them to do. That’s how real change happens,” she said.
She also linked Nigeria’s local efforts to global environmental trends, citing her experience at the G20 Summit in Brazil, where ocean plastic pollution was a major concern.
“Countries are taking action to clean their seas. We must also clean our waterways and protect our biodiversity,” she emphasized.
In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the RHI plans to roll out Environmental Clubs in secondary schools and Environmental Societies in tertiary institutions as part of a wider awareness and action campaign.
Speaking to the press, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah expressed gratitude to the First Lady for the recognition and praised Governor Peter Mbah, government agencies, and residents for their dedication.
“This award is the result of teamwork, vigilance, and commitment at all levels from the Governor to ESWAMA and local councils,” she said.
She pledged that Enugu would maintain its standards, saying, “We won’t relent. We will keep pushing to remain a model state.”
