The federal government has promised to continue to promote hygiene and improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities across the country to prevent diseases and enhance public health.
The minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, spoke in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2025 Global Handwashing Day, themed: “Be a Handwashing Hero.”
Utsev described the theme as a call on all Nigerians to take responsibility for creating healthier communities through consistent hand hygiene practices.
He said ordinary actions, when multiplied, can become heroic in saving lives and strengthening public health systems.
“This day reminds us that handwashing with soap remains our first line of defence against infections. It reduces the burden of disease, lowers school absenteeism and improves well-being, dignity and productivity,” the minister said.
Utsev maintained that good hygiene practices remain vital in preventing outbreaks such as cholera, which continues to affect underserved communities with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.
Global Handwashing Day, designated by the United Nations and marked annually on October 15, aims to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and encourage sustained behavioural change across societies.
The minister noted that cholera and other waterborne diseases thrive in environments where sanitation is compromised, stressing the need for a balanced approach that prioritises hygiene promotion alongside water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
He pointed out that poor hygiene practices can undermine progress in providing clean water and ending open defecation, calling for renewed national focus on hand hygiene at both policy and community levels.
Utsev recalled that in 2022, Nigeria launched the Roadmap to Hand Hygiene for All, a comprehensive guide for hygiene promotion activities nationwide. The roadmap, he said, serves as a framework for government, partners, and communities to scale up handwashing practices nationwide.
Highlighting ongoing federal efforts, the minister said the government has continued to demonstrate its commitment to revitalising the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector through several policy and infrastructure initiatives.
These include the National Action Plan for the Revitalisation of the WASH Sector, under which the government declared a State of Emergency in 2018 to address Nigeria’s sanitation crisis. The plan is currently being reviewed to include a dedicated hygiene component.
Others are the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (PEWASH), the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ Campaign backed by Executive Order 9 and the Sustainable Urban and Rural WASH (SURWASH) project.
