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With just one in six Nigerians having access to basic handwashing facilities, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged swift action to address the country’s pressing hygiene challenges amid a growing diarrhoea outbreak.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja during the 2025 Global Handwashing Day, Chizoe Adinora of UNICEF Nigeria highlighted that poor hygiene infrastructure continues to drive preventable illnesses, particularly among children.
“Handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent diarrhoea, yet the majority of Nigerians still lack access to this essential service,” Adinora said. “This is not only a health concern but a human rights issue. Every child and family deserves the tools to stay healthy.”
UNICEF called on the Federal Government, state authorities, and development partners to expand the delivery of emergency hygiene supplies while implementing a nationwide awareness campaign to promote proper handwashing practices.
In support of hygiene promotion, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the National Task Group on Sanitation, and UNICEF jointly commemorated Global Handwashing Day under the theme “Be a Handwashing Hero.”
During the event, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, urged all Nigerians to become “Handwashing Heroes” in the fight against disease, the promotion of dignity, and the building of a healthier nation.
He emphasised that handwashing with soap remains a frontline defence against illnesses such as cholera, particularly in underserved communities.
“Proper hand hygiene not only prevents disease but also improves school attendance, protects dignity, and enhances productivity,” Utsev said. He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing hygiene initiatives, including the Nigeria Roadmap to Hand Hygiene for All (2022), the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, the PEWASH programme, and the Sustainable Urban and Rural WASH (SURWASH) project.
The minister also announced that the National Action Plan for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is being updated to include a dedicated hygiene component, reinforcing the government’s commitment to hand hygiene at a national level.
Utsev called on institutions, schools, healthcare facilities, private sector organisations, and policymakers to ensure that handwashing facilities are accessible to all, including persons with disabilities.
“Making handwashing a habit everywhere requires innovation, dedication, and collaboration across all sectors,” he said.
He added, “A child spared from disease today is a future empowered. A community with safe hygiene is a community with dignity. Let us all become Handwashing Heroes and build a resilient, healthier Nigeria.”
The minister reiterated the Federal Government’s dedication to improving WASH outcomes through key programmes, including the National Action Plan, PEWASH, Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign backed by Executive Order 9, and SURWASH.
He also commended development partners, including Reckitt, UNICEF, WaterAid, Action Against Hunger, Sightsavers, and Self Help Africa, for their technical and financial support in advancing hygiene and sanitation goals.
Finally, Professor Utsev encouraged all stakeholders to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to ensure the availability of handwashing facilities in schools, healthcare centres, workplaces, and public spaces, particularly for persons with disabilities.
He urged government institutions and agencies to commit to measurable targets, provide essential supplies, and make hand hygiene a non-negotiable standard across all sectors.
