Nigeria today joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 Global Hand-washing Day, with the theme: “Be a Hand-washing Hero.”
This marks an annual event established by the United Nations to promote hand hygiene and raise awareness of its critical role in preventing diseases and saving lives.
The national celebration, held in Abuja by the federal ministry of water resources and sanitation, in collaboration with National Task Group on Sanitation, was led by the minister, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who emphasized that simple actions like washing hands with soap at critical times remain among the most effective and affordable ways to prevent diseases and safeguard public health.
Speaking on this year’s theme,the Utsev urged Nigerians to take personal and collective responsibility in promoting hygienic practices that ensure healthier communities. He noted that the theme represents a shift from passive awareness to active participation, calling on citizens, policymakers, and development partners to become true champions of hygiene.
The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening hygiene, sanitation, and water access through key initiatives such as the National Action Plan for the Revitalization of the WASH Sector, the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), and the Sustainable Urban and Rural WASH (SURWASH) project.
He announced that the ministry is revising the National Action Plan to include a dedicated hygiene component. Utsev also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to implementing the Nigeria Roadmap to Hand Hygiene for All. He further urged institutions, particularly schools, health facilities, and workplaces to promote hand hygiene through better infrastructure, sustained behavior change campaigns, and inclusive access for all, including persons with disabilities.
While appreciating development partners such as Reckitt, UNICEF, WaterAid, Action Against Hunger, Sightsavers, and Self Help Africa for their continued support toward achieving SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, the minister urged the private sector to invest more in hygiene and sanitation to promote sustainability and innovation in the WASH sector.
He also enjoined all Nigerians to become “Handwashing Heroes”, emphasizing that a child spared from disease today is a future empowered, and that a community with safe hygiene is one with dignity.
The permanent secretary in the ministry , Richard Pheelangwah, represented by the director, reform coordination and srvice improvement, Moses Jo-Madugu, emphasized collective action and behavioural change as key to making handwashing with soap a daily habit for improved public health and a healthier nation.
Delivering goodwill messages, representatives of UNICEF, Reckitt, and the Network of WASH in Nigeria (NEWSAN) collectively underscored the importance of information dissemination in preventing diseases through handwashing. They maintained that achieving universal hand hygiene is a shared responsibility that requires coordinated and collaborative efforts among all stakeholders.
Present at the event were representatives of the minister of environment, key water resources and sanitation stakeholders, and students who participated in the various educational and interactive activities promoting hygiene awareness.
The highlight of the celebration was the presentation of prizes to winners of the “Handwashing Art and Graphics Competition,” followed by a symbolic handwashing ceremony performed by dignitaries and participants to demonstrate the collective commitment to hygiene promotion in Nigeria.
