Harpic brand, from Reckitt, has reaffirmed its commitment to improving sanitation and hygiene across Nigeria. The brand partnered with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, and the Lagos State Government to commemorate the 2025 World Toilet Day, themed “We Will Always Need the Toilet.”
Recent data from the United Nations reveals that 3.6 billion people globally still live without access to safely managed sanitation, according to a statement. “In Nigeria, poor sanitation costs the economy an estimated N455 billion every year and contributes to preventable diseases such as cholera and diarrhea”.
This year’s commemoration, according to the statement, featured the maiden National Sanitation Conference, the 6th anniversary of the Clean Nigeria: Use the toilet Campaign in Abuja, and a two-day series of sensitization and awareness activities in Lagos. All events aimed to strengthen public-private partnerships, encourage behavioural change, and promote access to clean sanitation facilities nationwide.
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Speaking at the opening of the 2025 National Sanitation Conference in Abuja recently, the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Inna Binta Audu said: “Sanitation is not only about toilets or infrastructure; it is about human dignity, health, productivity, and the future of our nation’s children. A clean Nigeria is a healthy, prosperous, and equitable Nigeria. He called for accelerated action to unlock Nigeria’s $14.23 billion sanitation economy by 2030, warning that the country currently loses $3 billion annually due to inadequate sanitation due to its effects on health and productivity.”
According to the Head of External Communications and Partnerships at Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, she said, “We are proud to stand with the government, our partners and our communities in advancing one shared goal, accelerating access to safe sanitation for all Nigerians. Access to hygienic sanitation is not a lifestyle upgrade, it’s a necessity for preventing disease and it’s a fundamental human right. Through our brand Harpic, we are committed to championing this purpose until everyone can have access to safe and decent sanitation irrespective of their social economic class. When toilets work, communities will thrive; when they do not, the consequences will affect everyone.”
