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The federal government has launched a nationwide handwashing campaign to curb the spread of infectious diseases, including cholera and diphtheria, warning that poor hygiene practices continue to expose Nigerians to preventable illnesses.
The government said the fight against infectious diseases must go beyond hospitals and drugs to everyday preventive habits, especially proper handwashing with soap and clean running water at homes, schools, markets, workplaces and health facilities.
Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, stated this at the commemoration of the 2026 Global Handwashing Day in Abuja, with the theme: “Be a Handwashing Hero.”
The event, organised in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Nestlé, was held at Police Day Secondary School, Abuja.
Lawal, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Salisu Aminu Usman, said hand hygiene remains a public health imperative that requires collective responsibility.
Represented by the Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs. Omotunde Adeola, Usman said the school was chosen to empower pupils as hygiene ambassadors who would spread the message beyond the classroom to their homes and communities.
He disclosed that a handwashing station was constructed in the school with support from stakeholders, describing it as a practical step to translate awareness into action.
According to him, proper handwashing must be practised after using the toilet, handling waste, attending to children, and before preparing or eating food.
“Clean hands remain our first line of defence. The impact of Global Handwashing Day should be measured not by ceremonies but by lasting changes in people’s daily habits,” he said.
Usman particularly highlighted the role of market women and food handlers, noting that poor hand hygiene among traders who handle both children and food items could lead to contamination and disease transmission.
In his address, Lawal described handwashing as one of the simplest, most affordable and effective ways to protect against disease-causing germs, including cholera and typhoid fever.
He warned that awareness without access to facilities would achieve little, and called on governments at all levels, private sector, civil society, traditional and religious leaders, and development partners to expand access to clean water and functional handwashing stations.
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