Get Guardian on GoogleReckitt, through its Dettol brand and other partnerships, has reported a decline in communicable diseases among students, with Abuja recording a 34 per cent reduction, Kwara 22 per cent and Lagos 16 per cent.
The company’s Head of External Affairs, Media and Partnerships, Reckitt West and East Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, disclosed this as Nigeria marked this year’s Global Handwashing Day. Its Dettol Hygiene Quest and New Mums Hygiene Programme have reached more than 1.2 million children and mothers in Nigeria since 2021, providing hygiene education in schools and communities.
Uzo-Ogbugh said the programmes teach students how germs spread and the importance of proper handwashing in preventing infections, adding that access to clean water, soap and functional toilets, however, remains essential to maintaining good hygiene practices.
To address gaps in water and sanitation access, she said Reckitt has partnered with Water.org; the partnership has reached 8,900 people and supported efforts to help households, as well as small businesses, finance water connections, toilets and sanitation facilities.
According to her, a proposed N1 billion facility through Sterling Bank is expected to expand access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) loans, with lending rates projected to fall from 35 per cent to 24 per cent. Another proposal is a $200,000 guarantee to expand sanitation lending through LAPO Microfinance Bank.
Uzo-Ogbugh said the company also supports social entrepreneurs tackling health, hygiene and sanitation challenges through its Reckitt Catalyst initiative.
Since its launch in Nigeria in 2023, the programme has provided more than N85 million in seed funding to over 10 social entrepreneurs, according to Uzo-Ogbugh. One beneficiary, MN Environmental Services, recently commissioned a modular public sanitation facility in Lagos, expected to serve more than 30,000 commuters monthly.
