The Federal Government has called for a nationwide handwashing campaign to curb the spread of infectious diseases, including cholera, diphtheria and typhoid fever, urging Nigerians to adopt proper hygiene practices to protect public health.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, made the call on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 Global Handwashing Day commemoration, describing hand hygiene as a public health imperative that requires collective responsibility.
Lawal, who spoke through the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Salisu Usman, said handwashing with soap and clean running water remained one of the simplest, most affordable and effective ways to prevent the spread of disease-causing germs.
He warned that poor hygiene practices continued to expose Nigerians to preventable illnesses, stressing that efforts to combat infectious diseases must extend beyond hospitals and medicines to everyday preventive measures in homes, schools, markets, workplaces and healthcare facilities.
The event, held at Police Day Secondary School, Abuja, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Nestlé Nigeria Plc, was organised under the theme, “Be a Handwashing Hero.”
According to the minister, proper handwashing can significantly reduce the transmission of communicable diseases, with global health estimates indicating that the practice can lower the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by up to 50 per cent and respiratory infections by nearly 25 per cent.
However, he noted that public awareness campaigns would have limited impact without adequate access to clean water, sanitation facilities and functional handwashing stations.
He called on governments at all levels, private-sector organisations, civil society groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders and development partners to strengthen collaboration in expanding access to hygiene facilities and encouraging sustained behavioural change.
Lawal urged schools, healthcare centres, markets and workplaces to provide accessible and properly maintained handwashing stations, while encouraging parents, teachers and community leaders to make hygiene education a continuous priority.
He said the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Environment and other ministries, departments and agencies, remained committed to implementing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) policies and programmes under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister also linked improved hygiene and sanitation to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 on good health and well-being and Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, both of which have 2030 targets.
Addressing water scarcity, Lawal encouraged communities to adopt affordable, water-efficient handwashing technologies, including tippy taps, which dispense small quantities of water and can be useful in areas with limited water supplies.
He stressed that hygiene promotion must go hand in hand with responsible water use, particularly amid climate change and drought, to ensure that public health interventions did not place additional pressure on scarce water resources.
The minister also challenged young Nigerians to use their creativity, digital skills, school clubs and social media platforms to promote handwashing among their peers, families and communities.
He said teaching children proper hygiene practices early would help establish lifelong healthy habits, adding that schools that prioritised handwashing could reduce preventable illnesses, improve attendance and minimise disruptions to learning.
Lawal urged Nigerians to wash their hands regularly, particularly before preparing or eating food, after using the toilet, handling waste, caring for children and coming into contact with other people and animals.
He said consistent hand hygiene could reduce infections, ease pressure on healthcare facilities, improve productivity and contribute to healthier communities.
The minister commended the IFRC, Nestlé Nigeria Plc and Female Professionals in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (FEMinWASH) for supporting the commemoration, while acknowledging the contributions of government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and the media to WASH programmes across the country.
Earlier, Usman, represented by the ministry’s Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Omotunde Adeola, said Police Day Secondary School was deliberately selected as the venue to empower pupils to spread hygiene awareness beyond the classroom and influence behaviour in their homes and communities.
He disclosed that a handwashing station had been constructed at the school with support from stakeholders, describing the facility as a practical step towards translating awareness into everyday action.
Usman urged Nigerians to wash their hands regularly, particularly after using the toilet, handling waste and attending to children, as well as before preparing or eating food.
“Clean hands remain our first line of defence,” he said, stressing that the success of Global Handwashing Day should be measured not by ceremonies but by lasting changes in people’s daily habits.
He added that proper handwashing could reduce absenteeism in schools and workplaces, improve productivity and prevent food contamination, particularly when market women and food handlers observed appropriate hygiene standards.
Lawal reiterated that protecting public health began with simple, consistent actions, urging individuals and institutions to lead by example and ensure that access to proper hygiene facilities was not determined by location or social status.
“Clean hands save lives. The power to protect our families, communities and future generations lies in our hands,” he said.
The commemoration highlighted the need to move beyond awareness campaigns towards practical interventions that equip Nigerians with the facilities, knowledge and motivation to practise hand hygiene consistently.
