The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has urged Nigerians to adopt water-saving and climate-smart handwashing practices.
Lawal made the call during the commemoration of the 2026 Global Handwashing Day, themed “Be a Handwashing Hero”, on Monday at Police Day Secondary School, Area 11, Abuja.
Global Handwashing Day is an international campaign launched in 2008 to promote proper handwashing with soap at critical times to prevent diseases and save lives. It is observed annually on Oct. 15.
Lawal, who was represented by Dr Salihu Usman, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, urged young people to use digital platforms, videos and social media campaigns to promote handwashing, noting that innovative communication could inspire millions to adopt healthier habits.
He said the theme encouraged individuals, families, schools, businesses and governments to promote hand hygiene through consistent actions that protected public health and strengthened communities.
Lawal called on governments at all levels, non-governmental organisations, community leaders and the media to intensify awareness campaigns, improve access to sanitation facilities and encourage behavioural change.
The minister also urged Nigerians to embrace regular handwashing with soap and running water to prevent diseases and save lives.
He said handwashing with soap and running water remained one of the simplest and most affordable ways to prevent infections, including cholera, diphtheria, typhoid fever, Lassa fever and COVID-19.
According to him, proper handwashing can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by up to 50 per cent and respiratory infections by nearly 25 per cent.
He stressed that promoting hygiene required collective action beyond providing sanitation facilities, adding that proper management of such facilities was essential to preventing diseases and improving public health.
Lawal said the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Environment and other ministries, departments and agencies, remained committed to implementing policies and programmes to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) nationwide.
He urged Nigerians to wash their hands at critical times, including before eating, after using the toilet, handling waste or coming into contact with animals.
The minister also called on schools, healthcare facilities and workplaces to provide accessible handwashing stations, while encouraging communities to strengthen hygiene education, particularly among children.
He commended the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Nestlé Nigeria Plc and Female Professionals in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (FEMinWASH) for supporting the event.
He also appreciated the management of Police Day Secondary School and other stakeholders for their contributions to WASH programmes in Nigeria.
Lawal said making handwashing a national habit would help reduce the burden on healthcare facilities and build healthier communities, urging Nigerians to lead by example.
“Clean hands save lives. The power to protect our families, communities and future generations lies in our hands,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Country Support Platform, Mr Iliya Cheshi, said regular handwashing could save lives and prevent disease outbreaks.
Cheshi, who is also an epidemiologist, said it was important for Nigeria and other countries to recognise proper hand hygiene as a simple but effective public health measure.
He said educating children about hand hygiene would help them develop healthy habits and share the message with their families and communities.
He cited the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, where he had participated in response efforts, as an example of the importance of hygiene practices in controlling infectious diseases.
He also recalled the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, noting that regular handwashing remained an important measure for protecting public health.
Cheshi urged Nigerians to maintain proper hand hygiene, expressing optimism that sustained awareness and collaboration among stakeholders would help prevent diseases and safeguard communities.
He called for continued partnerships to promote handwashing, adding that keeping hands clean was a simple step towards building a healthier and safer Nigeria.
The Commandant of Police Day Secondary School, CSP Moses Bammai, emphasised the importance of teaching children proper handwashing habits from an early age.
Bammai said hosting the Global Handwashing Day programme at the school was a source of joy, describing the event as an important step towards educating young people about personal hygiene.
He said teaching children the importance of handwashing at an early age would help them develop lasting habits that would protect their health and promote cleanliness throughout their lives.
