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% of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment, and about 419 million people still practice 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 3 locations in Lagos; Ajah, Ketu, and Mile 2, sensitizing communities with proper sanitation practices for maintaining clean and hygienic toilets.
Harpic continued its fight against open defecation with a commemoration event in Lagos on Monday, November 20, 2023. Held at Ndubuisi Kanu Park in Ikeja, the event was attended by notable figures from the Lagos State Ministry of Water Resources and Environment united to tackle this global issue.
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. Hence, there is a need for accelerating change to scale up actions and to harness innovative ideas and investment not only by the Government but also by corporate and individual citizens of this State to solve the problem of Open defecation in Lagos State.”
The next day, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Harpic wrapped up this year’s commemoration event organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
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. “Inadequate sanitation leads to the contamination of drinking water sources, rivers, and food crops, consequently propagating life-threatening diseases within the broader population. We have partnered with the Federal Government through the Clean Nigeria campaign to drive awareness of the ills of open defecation and the importance of toilet hygiene by refurbishing, maintaining 150 public toilets and providing Harpic products to sustain the maintenance of these toilets.”
In addition, the Honourable Minister of Environment, Mr Barabe Lawal, affirmed the Government’s dedication to eradicating open defecation in Nigeria. He stated, “From now, all government institutions that are responsible in planning approvals must ensure that all buildings that come to them must have a toilet. We will do that, and we are going to have our Environmental Council in Kano state in December. These are the issues we will also push to state governments across the country, that all building plans, particularly shopping malls, must have a functional toilet as a matter of necessity and we must take these into consideration.”
The Minister of Water Resources, Sanitation Professor Joseph Terlumun, declared the Government’s commitment to end open defecation. He said, “I wish to use this opportunity to reiterate Government’s commitment to support sub-national level initiatives towards ending open defecation and improving access to WASH services for the populace. In the light of the 2023 World Toilet Day theme “Accelerating Change” we must do all we can to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to safe water and sanitation.”
With a legacy deeply rooted in promoting proper sanitation practices, Harpic continues to champion the fight against open defecation, emerging as a trusted partner in the quest for a germ-free and pristine toilet experience. From urban to rural communities, its impact cuts across geographical boundaries, making it an integral part of the daily hygiene practice for millions of Nigerians.
