An Assessment of the State of Environmental Management in Nigerian Capital Cities

It has been observed that daily interaction of millions of Nigerian population estimated at 186.5 million by Population Reference Bureau (PRB) with their immediate environment have serious implications on the landscape, environmental aesthetics and atmospheric well-being. Urban decadence, proliferation of slums, deforestation, congestion and all forms of pollution are some of the resultant effects of man’s interaction with his environment which results in adverse effects on Nigeria major cities. Increased industrial activities have engendered more carbon emission in the country, which it is estimated at 26.1 million tons per annum, the fourth highest in Africa. This paper examines the state of environmental management in the state capital cities of Nigeria in the light of five research-proven indicators of environment-friendly cities. The paper applies qualitative method using the indicators to examine which state capital is really environment-friendly out of the thirty seven (37) in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Results show that only five (5) state capitals out of the thirty seven (37) in Nigeria can be referred to as being environment-friendly. The study outlines notable recommendations capable of stimulating the attention and enhancing the efforts of less environment sensitive cities in adopting global best practices.