Sterling Bank and its partners have launched a nationwide environmental campaign, The Great Nigeria Cleanup, set to take place on 25 April 2026 across multiple states, as concerns grow over pollution and waste management in Nigeria.

The initiative, organised in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Sunbeth, and community volunteers, will span all six geopolitical zones.

Why it matters

Nigeria faces mounting environmental challenges, particularly plastic pollution and poor waste disposal systems in urban areas.

Cities such as Lagos generate thousands of tonnes of waste daily, putting pressure on infrastructure and public health systems.

The organisers say the cleanup aligns with the United Nations Decade of Action and is designed to encourage long-term behavioural change among citizens.

Nationwide mobilisation

The campaign will run simultaneously across states including Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Osun, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, Imo, Sokoto, Kano, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, and Katsina.

It aims to mobilise citizens, businesses, and government agencies to take part in coordinated cleanups and environmental awareness activities.

What organisers are saying

Temitayo Adegoke, Chief Operating Officer of Sterling Bank, said the initiative is about collective responsibility.

“At Sterling, we believe that real impact happens when institutions and individuals come together with a shared purpose. The Great Nigeria Cleanup is our collective opportunity to not only clean our surroundings but to redefine how we care for our environment,” he said.

“This is about building a culture of responsibility and pride that will outlive this moment.”

Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, described the campaign as a broader social movement.

“The future we want for Nigeria depends on the actions we take today. The Great Nigeria Cleanup is about more than sanitation, it is about dignity, wellbeing, and shared responsibility,” she said.

“We are proud to be part of a movement that empowers people across the country to take ownership of their environment.”

Industry and public perspective

Environmental experts say large-scale cleanups can help raise awareness but must be backed by consistent policies and infrastructure investment.

Waste management stakeholders have also called for improved recycling systems, stronger enforcement of environmental laws, and increased public education.

Community groups involved in the campaign say citizen participation will be key to its success.

Impact on communities

Organisers believe the initiative could:

Reduce plastic waste in public spaces

Improve sanitation and public health

Encourage civic responsibility

Strengthen collaboration between public and private sectors

For many residents, especially in densely populated cities, cleaner environments could also reduce flooding caused by blocked drainage systems.

What’s next

Participants are encouraged to join cleanup efforts in their communities on 25 April.

Organisers say the campaign is intended to become an annual movement, with long-term sustainability programmes expected to follow.

About the organisations

Sterling Bank is a Nigerian commercial bank with over 60 years of operations, focusing on sectors such as health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation.

Sterling One Foundation is a non-profit organisation working on poverty reduction through programmes in health, education, and climate action, with a focus on partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

An environmental group has urged the Nigerian government to impose a total ban on gas flaring, warning that oil companies are choosing to pay penalties rather than reduce emissions.

The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) said the surge in payments shows existing sanctions are ineffective.

This follows new data from the Nigerian Oil Spill Monitor, which shows oil firms paid an estimated $646 million in gas flaring penalties in 2025, the highest in five years.

Why it matters

Gas flaring, burning off excess natural gas during oil extraction releases harmful emissions that affect public health and contribute to climate change.

Communities in the Niger Delta have long complained about pollution, poor crop yields, and health risks linked to flare sites.

Nigeria has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2060, but critics say continued flaring undermines that goal.

Rising penalties, rising emissions

The data reveals a complex trend.

While flaring volumes fell between 2020 and 2022, they have risen again in recent years:

2020: 349.3 million SCF

2021: 264.6 million SCF

2022: 230.1 million SCF

2023: 278.3 million SCF

2024: 301.3 million SCF

The highest penalties on record were in 2018, when companies paid $934 million after flaring gas worth $1.6 billion.

“Not a cause for celebration”

RDI Executive Director, Philip Jakpor said the government should not treat the payments as revenue success.

“The increase in payment of the penalties should not be viewed in terms of revenue as the Nigerian government wants us to see it. It should not be a cause for celebration. What it shows is that the oil companies are very comfortable paying what the government portrays as humungous sums rather than saving our environment and people from the toxic emissions”.

He added that the current penalty rate, about $2 per 1,000 SCF remains too low to deter companies.

“For the polluting oil companies the penalties at $2.00 for 1,000 scf still remains a pat on the back… the government has capitulated to a position of financialization of pollution”.

Impact on communities

Jakpor said the real cost is borne by residents living near flare sites.

“Communities living side by side these polluting facilities carry the biggest burdens in form of constant heat, acid rain, poor farm yields, and the health impacts of inhaling methane and other toxic chemicals from the flare sites. That should be the biggest worry of our government instead of so-called revenue”.

Environmental experts have long linked gas flaring to respiratory illnesses, environmental degradation, and reduced agricultural productivity.

Climate targets under scrutin

RDI questioned Nigeria’s commitment to its climate goals, arguing that continued flaring contradicts its emissions targets.

“A genuine and just energy transition must be built on cutting emission at source rather than encouraging the fossil fuels industry to continue business as usual. An end to gas flaring is what we want to celebrate, not increased revenue from penalties”.

Industry and policy perspective

Oil companies typically argue that flaring is sometimes unavoidable due to infrastructure limitations, though regulators have set deadlines to end the practice dating back to 1984.

Government agencies have also defended penalties as part of a broader transition strategy, but critics say enforcement remains weak.

What’s next

Campaigners are calling for stricter enforcement, higher penalties, and investment in gas capture technologies.

Some analysts suggest that without stronger regulation and infrastructure, flaring may persist despite financial sanctions.

Women from Ekuri community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State have petitioned the state House of Assembly, raising alarm over the impact of illegal logging on their livelihoods and environment.

In a petition dated 26 March 2026 and addressed to Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, the women accused illegal loggers of degrading the Ekuri Forest and worsening socio-economic conditions.

A copy of the petition seen by NigeriaUpdates shows detailed complaints about forest depletion, harassment, and lack of enforcement of existing logging bans.Petition to CRSHA

The petition, jointly signed by community leaders including Mrs Lawrencia Agbor and others, described large-scale logging activities continuing despite a government ban.

“Honourable Speaker, every day more than 200 truckloads of timber and other exotic wood leave Ekuri forest and efforts by our people to halt this practice are met with harassment and intimidation by security personnel hired by the logging merchants.”

The women also said logging trucks have worsened the already poor road conditions in the area.

“Sometimes they break down in the middle of the road and remain there for days, making access by our people totally impossible.”

Why it matters

Ekuri Forest remains a major source of food, income, and traditional medicine for residents, particularly women.

The petition warned that continued deforestation is now creating food security risks and accelerating biodiversity loss.

The women cited estimates showing that about 91,000 tonnes of timber leave Cross River State annually due to illegal logging.

They also referenced findings from Global Forest Watch, which indicate that more than 540 square miles of tree cover had been lost in Ekuri and surrounding areas as of 2024.

Women bear the brunt

The petition stressed that women—mostly farmers—are the hardest hit by the crisis.

Many now travel longer distances into shrinking forest areas to find firewood, medicinal plants, and food resources.

Despite this, they say they are rarely included in decisions affecting forest management.

Calls for urgent action

The women urged the Assembly to take immediate steps, including:

Enforcing the existing ban on illegal logging

Defining and regulating legal logging practices

Partnering with conservation groups on reforestation

Repairing roads damaged by logging trucks

Ensuring women and youths are included in decision-making

They also appealed to the Speaker to intervene and halt what they described as worsening illegal activities.

Industry reaction

Reacting to the development, the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) described the move as a major step by the women.

RDI Project Officer, Linda Amadi, said the petition reflects growing awareness and advocacy.

“We anticipate that the Cross River State House of Assembly will handle this issue with the seriousness it deserves. The forest sustains the Ekuri people and no one understands this better than the women.”

“They have asked for environmental justice and that is what they deserve. Anything short of this is unacceptable.”

What’s next

The Cross River State House of Assembly has yet to publicly respond to the petition.

Observers say the development could test the state’s commitment to enforcing environmental protections and supporting forest-dependent communities.