Nigeria’s leading toilet cleaning brand, Harpic, manufactured by Reckitt, continued its advocacy and commitment to sanitation and proper hygiene by collaborating with the Lagos State government and federal government to commemorate the 2023 World Toilet Day.
As of today, the United Nations’ statistics reveal that about 3.5 billion people do not have access to safe toilets, over 40 per cent of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment, and about 419 million people still practise open defecation. In Nigeria, over 100 million people lack access to basic sanitation, and an estimated 48 million practice open defecation.
Going by the global theme for 2023 World Toilet Day, ‘Accelerating Change’, Harpic organised a series of impactful events to give Nigerians the necessary sensitisation to tackle the national challenge of poor access to sanitation and adversely affecting the economies.
The events began with a ‘Walk Against Open Defecation’ on Saturday, November 18, 2023, where Harpic and its brand ambassador, Helen Paul, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, alongside other participants, took over three locations in Lagos; Ajah, Ketu, and Mile 2, sensitising communities with proper sanitation practices for maintaining clean and hygienic toilets.
Delivering the keynote address, the permanent secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Lagos State, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, stressed the government’s and the public’s need for active participation. He said, “Open defecation has become a menace, polluting our water, soil and air, and on the verge of reversing the gains already established in the pursuit of attaining the 2030 target.”
Speaking at the event, Head of External Communications and Partnerships, Sub-Saharan Africa Reckitt, Uzo-Ogbugh Cassandra, highlighted the effects of open defecation and Harpic’s commitment to tackling this global issue.
In addition, the minister of Environment, Barabe Lawal, affirmed the government’s dedication to eradicating open defecation in Nigeria.
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