By Miriam Humbe
Minister of the Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has urged Nigerians not to relent in the good habit of handwashing but step up as champions of hand hygiene.
The Minister said this in Abuja at the occasion to mark the 2026 Global Handwashing Day with the theme: “Be a Handwashing Hero/Heroines”.
The Minister said: “Today’s Global Handwashing Day Commemoration calls for collaboration and collective coordinated actions to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap under running water as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
“Handwashing with soap and running water is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including COVID-19, Cholera, Diptheria,Typhoid, Lassa fever, e.t.c.
“According to global health experts, proper hand washing can cut the risk of diarrheal diseases by up to 50% and respiratory infections by nearly 25%.
“This call for collaboration and collective coordinated actions goes beyond business as usual, promoting not only the provision of sanitation facilities but also their safe management to prevent disease.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Salihu Usman said beyond the immediate benefits of disease reduction, stepping up as a Handwashing Hero directly fosters a healthier, more productive society by reducing rates of absenteeism in both our schools and workplace.
He emphasized the need to join the rest of the world to “bring to our minds reasons to sustain effective handwashing practice in everyday life.”
The International Handwashing Day is marked globally every year on October 15, where communities advocate and leaders spread the word about hand hygiene, build handwashing infrastructure, and demonstrate the value of handwashing with soap under running water.
