Federal Government Launches Handwashing Campaign Against Cholera, Diphtheria

The federal government has called for 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 and undermine public health.

The government said the battle against infectious diseases must extend beyond hospitals and medicines to everyday preventive habits, particularly proper handwashing with soap and clean running water at home, in schools, markets, workplaces and healthcare facilities.

Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who spoke through the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Salisu Aminu Usman, at the 2026 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Abuja, described hand hygiene as a public health imperative requiring collective responsibility.

The event, held in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Nestlé, had the theme, “Be a Handwashing Hero.”

Represented by the ministry’s Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Omotunde Adeola, the permanent secretary said the government had chosen to commemorate the occasion at Police Day Secondary School to empower pupils to spread hygiene awareness beyond the classroom and influence behaviour in their homes and communities.

The permanent secretary disclosed that a hand washing station had been constructed at the school with support from stakeholders, describing the facility as a practical step towards translating hygiene awareness into everyday action.

He urged Nigerians to make hand washing a regular practice, particularly after using the toilet, handling waste, attending to children and before preparing or eating food.

According to him, proper hand washing with soap and clean water can help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, reduce school and workplace absenteeism, and improve productivity.

“Clean hands remain our first line of defence,” he said, stressing that the impact of Global Hand washing Day should be measured not by ceremonies but by lasting changes in people’s daily habits.

Usman also highlighted the role of market women and food handlers in preventing contamination, noting that hand hygiene was particularly important for traders who attend to children and subsequently return to handling goods for sale.

In his message delivered through the permanent secretary, Lawal said Hand-washing remained one of the simplest, most affordable and effective measures for protecting individuals and communities against disease-causing germs.

He said the practice could help reduce the spread of infections, including cholera, typhoid fever and other communicable diseases, while stressing that public awareness must be matched with access to clean water, sanitation facilities and functional handwashing stations.

The minister warned that the benefits of hygiene campaigns would remain limited if people lacked the facilities needed to practise what they had been taught.

He called on governments, private-sector organisations, civil society groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders and development partners to strengthen collaboration in expanding access to hand washing facilities and promoting sustained behavioural change.

Lawal also urged schools, healthcare centres, markets and workplaces to provide accessible and properly maintained hand washing stations, adding that parents, teachers and community leaders must make hygiene education a continuous responsibility.

He further called for the adoption of affordable, water-efficient hand washing technologies in communities facing water scarcity, noting that hygiene promotion must go hand in hand with responsible water use and conservation.

The minister appealed particularly to young Nigerians to use their creativity, digital skills, school clubs and social media platforms to promote proper hand washing among their peers, families and communities.

He said a child who learns good hygiene practices early could carry those habits into adulthood, while schools that prioritise hand washing could help protect pupils and reduce preventable illnesses.

Lawal added that sustained hygiene practices would not only protect public health but also reduce pressure on healthcare facilities, safeguard children’s education and strengthen community productivity.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to environmental sanitation and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, linking the efforts to the Sustainable Development Goals on good health and well-being, and clean water and sanitation.

The 2026 commemoration reinforced the need to move from awareness campaigns to practical interventions that enable Nigerians to practise proper hand hygiene consistently.

Both government officials stressed that hand washing must become a daily habit rather than an activity observed only during public campaigns, urging Nigerians to take personal responsibility for protecting their health and that of others.