A two-day campaign at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Lagos has spotlighted the critical role of young Nigerians in advancing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices.
The initiative, led by Self Help Africa (SHA) culminated in a powerful call to action: youth as champions of sustainable WASH advocacy to mark the Global Handwashing Day which commenced on October 15.
The campaign with the theme ‘Why Are Clean Hands Still Important?’, is focused on practical handwashing and hygiene education, bringing together key stakeholders, corps members and WASH experts in a dynamic programme of discussions, hackathons, and innovation challenges.
This theme highlights the urgent need to address hygiene challenges, particularly in Nigeria, where over 70 million people lack access to basic handwashing facilities.
Poor hygiene not only endangers health but also affects school attendance, economic productivity, and community resilience.
This final event of SHA’s 2024 Handwashing Campaign coincided with a pivotal moment in national efforts to implement the National Youth WASH Strategy and enhance grassroots health systems.
Reflecting on the journey throughout the campaign, SHA’s Country Director Joy Aderele represented by Shadrack Shaaperaga Guusu who is head of WASH Programmes, remarked, “It is about leveraging the power of the huge and brilliant young population of Nigeria to drive innovative and sustainable progress in providing equitable safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services in line with the national youth WASH strategy. We are striving to raise young WASH champions that will contribute to closing the gap in services.”
“We implement to support communities to have access to improved and sustainable water sanitation and hygiene services. We’ve been working in partnership with the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water and Sanitation.
“On why we are here; we are here to launch a WASH campaign. WASH means Water Sanitation and Hygiene. And that the WASH campaign was in collaboration with the previous administration just before they went out for the new administration.
“They launched what is called a youth WASH strategy. That means incorporating, I mean harnessing Nigeria’s large youth population to raise youth champions that will take up innovative approaches to provide solutions to the lack of WASH services that we have in Nigeria. So Self Help Africa now with the MINPAS is key to that strategy to support the government in implementing that strategy.
“And that is the reason why we are targeting NYSC because NYSC has a pool of young, educated, innovative people coming under their umbrella. This campaign is to raise WASH champions and young people who can provide innovative, equitable and inclusive solutions to WASH services.
“We are having this campaign to get young people interested in solutions for WASH services and also create a mentoring platform where we can mentor them into professionals, mentor them to implement WASH projects in their communities where they are serving as agents of change.
“So what was the turnout like yesterday and how did the four members take this initiative? You know that is the beauty of partnership, right? If we were to, as an organisation, just go out on the street and mobilise young people, it would be much more difficult. But partnering with the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Youth and the NYSC itself, this is a camp where you have thousands of young people.
”So it was just easy to bring all of them together to attend the event. I would say 98 per cent of the camp population was present. And you know, issues around water, sanitation and hygiene are not something that is very attractive to young people, right? If you talk about tech, talk about music, art, and entertainment, those are more attractive things.
“And so it’s not easy to get attention like that. So initially it was a little bit difficult, but it’s just bringing in innovative and entertaining ways to engage young people and get them interested in topics that ordinarily they wouldn’t be interested in. So for instance, what we did is launch a hackathon,” Guusu said.
The Minister of Youth Development, Olawande Wisdom Ayodele, represented by Mobolaji Ogunlende who is the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, said the campaign demonstrates the commitment of the government to empower youths as WASH leaders, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable practices.
“Youths have been identified as change agents in overall WASH advocacy, and this year’s handwashing campaign aligns with the operationalisation of the National Youth WASH Strategy, a key objective of the FCDO-funded WASH Systems for Health (WASH) Programme which SHA is implementing in Nigeria. The WASH campaign, which has now been launched to address a topical issue in WASH every year, will continue to engage young people as central figures in driving sustainable change.
“The event also spotlighted innovation and engagement through the WASH Innovation Challenge, where corps members present creative solutions to address WASH challenges, competing for prizes totalling over one million naira. Additionally, sensitisation sessions will underscore the critical role of hand hygiene in disease prevention, further equipping participants to serve as WASH champions in their respective postings.
“Distinguished guests, this campaign is a call to action. It is a reminder that sustainable development starts with simple acts, like washing our hands or educating one more person about sanitation. Each of us has a role to play. Whether as a Corps member, a policy leader, or a partner organisation, your contributions are shaping a healthier, more resilient Nigeria.”
The CEO of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe commended the collaboration and called for urgent action to address Nigeria’s sanitation challenges.
“Clean hands represent one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to break the cycle of disease and poverty. As we commemorate the Global Handwashing Day 2024, we are reminded that over 1.5 million children globally still lose their lives annually to preventable diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia, many of which could be averted through the simplest act of handwashing with soap.
“Our partnership with SHA reinforces our dedication to addressing these challenges. By engaging thousands of NYSC members as WASH ambassadors. We are equipping young Nigerians with the knowledge and tools to champion sustainable WASH solutions in schools, homes, and communities.
“These efforts align with the Federal Government’s National Action Plan for the Revitalisation of Nigeria’s Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (2019–2030), as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), aimed at ensuring universal access to clean water and sanitation.
“Through the WASH Innovation Challenge, our support for the grand prize demonstrates our belief in the power of youth-driven innovation. By recognising and rewarding outstanding solutions, we aim to inspire young leaders to create impactful, scalable change that contributes to breaking the cycle of waterborne diseases and building resilient communities.
“To the NYSC members serving as WASH ambassadors, your role is vital. As young leaders, you have the opportunity to inspire change and transform simple practices like handwashing into lasting cultural norms. By championing this cause, you are directly contributing to healthier communities and a brighter future for Nigeria,” Ibekwe said.
