The initiative targets 41,200 people across 92 schools, 96 communities, and 35 healthcare centers.

With its Clean Naija initiative, Nigeria’s leading hygiene brand, Dettol, produced by Reckitt Nigeria has joined forces with Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) and other key stakeholders with actions to combat poor hygiene practices in Nigeria. 

The other key players in public health and education sectors include; the Slum and Rural Health Initiative (SRHIN), The Federal Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON).

The actions involve efforts to address the challenges of sanitation and hygiene with a transformative journey in Lagos, Abuja and Kwara states through the “Hygiene Quest” curriculum.

The curriculum consists of various modules that incorporate comics, mini-games, physical worksheets, and interactive activities to deliver learning. 

The Marketing Director Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzim Rezwan, explained the rationale for the partnership thus: “At Reckitt, we live by our purpose which is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world, and this purpose drives everything we do as a company.” 

“With our flagship brand, Dettol, we believe nobody should feel powerless in protecting who and what they love. It is why we created the Clean Naija Initiative, as an integrated multi-level campaign with the aim of creating awareness, education and driving behavioral change to achieve a cleaner and healthier Nigeria” Rezwan further explained. 

“As we celebrate our achievements, let us remember why we celebrate good health and well-being. We must always recognize its importance to our society and the risks we face without proper hygiene and sanitation”, he said,

The initiative, according to the partners is set to reach 92 schools, 96 communities, 35 healthcare facilities, 9,200 students, 7,000 community members, and over 25,000 mothers. 

Representing the founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, H.E Toyin Ojora-Saraki; the Senior Programs Lead at Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Dr. Ayomide Tonade highlighted the importance of the partnership thus: “Women, infants and children are the highest burden bearers of the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene.” 

After the intervention, the assessment carried out by measurement partners Slum and Rural Health Initiative (SRHIN) showed among other positive impacts, that there was a 31.9% increase in excellent knowledge of handwash among school children, a 40.9% increase in the excellent practice of handwashing and hygiene among community members and a 38.6% significant increase in excellent hygiene knowledge amongst pregnant women in health care facilities. 

The achievements were celebrated in a closeout event in Lagos which was well attended by stakeholders from all the key stakeholders.

Clean Naija initiative is a set of CSR programs that Dettol is deploying to promote good sanitation practices among women and children while tackling poor hygiene practices across the country.

Source: Leadership