Hygiene brand, Dettol, and its implementation partner, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), has launched the third year of Dettol Hygiene Quest Initiative at Oduduwa Primary School, Gbagada, Lagos.
The Hygiene Quest curriculum, under the Dettol Clean Naija Initiative, aims to reach six million children by 2030, by equipping them with lessons on handwashing, cleanliness and reducing absenteeism and hygiene-related diseases in children by 10 per cent.
Since its inception in 2013, the Dettol School Hygiene Programme, through which the Dettol Hygiene Quest curriculum is used, has made impact, transforming hygiene practice in schools, homes, and healthcare facilities in Nigeria.
Now in its third year with WBFA, it has conducted programmes in Lagos, Kwara and Abuja in schools, hospitals and communities. Over 269,758 school children have been taught the principles of hygiene, 69,233 expectant and lactating mothers have received evidence-based hygiene education, 32,928 community members have been empowered as health promoters in their households, and over 2,300 healthcare workers have been trained to implement and sustain hygiene led care standards.
Speaking at the event, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, head of External Affairs and Partnerships for Reckitt sub-Saharan Africa, said: “Hygiene education is the cornerstone of disease prevention, and through our collaboration with our partners, we are fostering sustainable hygiene habits. Now in its 13th year, and having educated over seven million children, we are proud to see the impact the programme has delivered over the past years.
‘We are proud of the impact in 2024; they include: In noticeable communicable diseases, a 34 per cent, 22 per cent and 16 per cent decrease among students in Abuja, Kwara, and Lagos State. In the area of school absenteeism rate due to illness, there was a 40.91 per cent, 16.01 percent and 12.28 per cent decrease in Abuja, Lagos and Kwara.
She continued that proper hand washing habits and wide-scale hygiene education can prevent many hygiene-related illnesses like diarrhoea and the flu. “I want to thank our partners, the Wellbeing Foundation, Governments and Facilitators across the states. As we commence the 2025 session of the Dettol School Hygiene Program, we look forward to an even bigger positive impact on the health of our children and students, but we ask that everyone join in the fight to eradicate the prevalence of hygiene-related diseases”, she said.
Her Excellency, Princess Toyin Ojora Saraki, Founder and President of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, emphasised the profound impact of this initiative while delivering her goodwill speech, “It is both an honour and a professional responsibility to mark the formal commencement of Year Three of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa Dettol Hygiene Quest Program. Our task, as we open this next implementation cycle is threefold: to sustain the quality and coverage of the programme with professional discipline; to continue to expand the year count and geographical reach, recognising the increasing demand for community-based hygiene education that is standardised and evidence-aligned; and (third), to ensure that our communication and advocacy fully reflect the complexity and ambition of this work. Public health is not advanced through proclamations alone, but through structured systems that educate, enable, and empower. The WBFA Dettol Hygiene Quest is one such system, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that it endures, evolves, and delivers for the Nigerian children with us today, and generations”.
The event was a dynamic and engaging experience for the pupils, featuring interactive hand washing demonstrations, hygiene education sessions, and distribution of Dettol soaps and educational materials.
As the event concluded, the sense of empowerment among the students was unmistakable. Beyond the knowledge imparted, they left with a newfound responsibility—to be hygiene ambassadors within their homes and communities. By equipping the next generation with essential hygiene knowledge, Dettol and WBFA are fostering a cultural shift that ensures better health and wellbeing for years to come.
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