P&G, Safeguard Partners Federal Government to Extend its Global Handwashing Campaign

Donates handwashing stations to schools, primary health centers and markets

Leading consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble (P&G), has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to promote handwashing in the country and celebrate this year’s Global Handwashing Day. In line with these partnerships, P&G donated Safeguard contactless handwashing stations to the ministries. These donations were announced at the headquarters of both ministries in Abuja.

These partnerships keys into the 2020 Global Handwashing Day theme of ‘Hand Hygiene for All’ and P&G’s commitment to make everyday life better and safe for consumers. Through this partnership, P&G through the Ministry of Environment will install Safeguard® contactless handwashing stations in all unity schools in Abuja. In addition, through the Ministry of Water Resources, P&G will install other Safeguard® handwashing stations in selected primary health centers and markets.

Speaking on this initiative, the P&G Senior Director for Africa, Global Government Relations and Public Policy, Dr. Mrs. Temitope Iluyemi said, “We are honored to partner with the Ministries of Water Resources and Environment as we extend our handwashing campaign to more regions and also in commemoration of this year’s global handwashing day.”

“Now more than ever, continuous education of the citizens on the importance of handwashing is critical to promoting hygiene practices and reinforcing it as the frontline defense for citizens against the spread of infections like COVID-19.”.

Commenting on the importance of enterprising partnerships during his media briefing address, the Honorable Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu stated “We understand that the outbreak of COVID-19 has reawakened a consciousness of handwashing practices and it is important that we maximize this opportunity and ensure sustainability of these infrastructures and behavior, to achieve hand hygiene for all. P&G is one of the frontline companies supporting Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and our partnership with them is in line with our Ministry’s P-WASH action plan.”

In addition, the Honorable Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, thanked P&G for the donation and added that “this partnership is coming at such an important time of school resumption. These handwashing stations will go a long way towards promoting handwashing amongst students in the unity schools in Abuja.”

Procter & Gamble stepped up as a force for good by committing over 100 million Naira worth of a humanitarian package to support the government in combating COVID-19. This intervention included hygiene products, handwashing stations, and personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers in all 36 states and the FCT. As part of this contribution, P&G also launched a nationwide media awareness campaign to promote handwashing amongst Nigerians.

For over 25 years in Nigeria, Procter & Gamble, producer of notable brands like Always®, Ariel®, Pampers®, Gillette®, Oral B® and Safeguard®, has been an active investor in Nigeria, creating over 4,000 jobs through its manufacturing operations in Ibadan and Lagos.

P&G’s Children Safe Drinking Water program (CSDW) has provided hundreds of million liters of safe drinking water in Nigeria helping to prevent possible death and disease from contaminated water while its Always/UNESCO program is empowering over 110,000 Nigerian girls and women with basic literacy and skills development through ICT.