The Federal Government has called on citizens to imbibe the culture of regular handwashing with soap to improve personal hygiene.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Professor Joseph Utsev made the call at a press briefing as part of activities to commemorate the 2025 Global Handwashing Day.
This campaign highlights that handwashing is not only an individual responsibility but a collective one to reduce healthcare burdens and build a healthier future for all Nigerians.
According to Minister Utsev, regular handwashing with soap is critical to disease prevention , improve health and eliminate barriers to economic opportunities.
The Minister told reporters that while regular handwashing with soap is considered as affordable, accessible “do-it-yourself” vaccine for sanitation and hyiene related diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid.
He said alot of people still battle with handwashing with soap in critical times especially after defecation, touching animals or sick persons, cooking, eating, handling food or feeding others.
Professor Utsev in a statement by his Personal Assitant on Media and Publicity Terhemen Oraduen,
explained that it was in view of the health benefits of regular handwashing with soap that the United Nations had designated fifteenth of October every year as Global Handwashing Day to increase awareness on the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way of preventihg diseases and saving lives as well as to galvanise global action that will contribute to instilling the culture of handwashing with soap.
The Minister said regular handwashing is a first line defense in preventing disease outbreaks and reducing toll of pandemics as witnessed during Covid-19 pandemic where handwashing with soap contributed significantly to the reduction of modalities.
While highlighting the activities lined up for the event, Professor Utsev said, the National Task Group on Sanitation which is a coordinating mechanism for sanitation and hyiene at the national level plans to carry out citizens engagement using Radio, Television and social media platforms for one month while on Wednesday, which is the commemoration day, stakeholders including Development partners, Trade Unions, Civil Organisations will converge on Chelsea Hotel in Abuja for more sensitization while there will be a symbolic handwashing by dignitaries in attendance.
According to him, the aim is to reach out every Nigerian with a message on handwashing with soap and acknowledged the sustained support from UNICEF, Water Aid,EU among other development partners.
Professor Utsev who said the theme for this year’s celebration “Be a Handwashing Hero “challenged everyone to take responsibility of safeguarding public health through proper handwashing with under running water.
