Hypo Toilet Cleaner brand in conjunction with Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos Ministry of Environment and National Youth Service Corps recently led a hygiene awareness walk in festac town, Lagos tagged “Say No to Unsafe Toilets and Open Defecation”.
The program kicked off in the early hours of the morning of Thursday, May 26th,2022 at the Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Festac Town. The campaign had the full support of the Hypo Toilet Rescue Volunteers in the National Youth Corps members who were bubbly with eagerness to hit the streets to demonstrate maximum support for the Hypo Toilet Cleaner brand in creating awareness towards a healthy Toilet hygiene practice in Nigeria.
The Toilet Hygiene walk is an awareness campaign purposely designed to support the fight against open defecation and use of unsafe toilets in Nigeria. Open defecation remains a public health concern not only in Nigeria but also in Sub Sahara Africa and it is no news that without proper sanitation efforts in this area, waste from infected individuals can contaminate a community’s land and water, increasing the risk of infection for other individuals.
Just before the walk began, Mr. Richard Aloye, NYSC official representing, Apapa Local Government addressed the youth corps members who have now become Volunteers of the Hypo Toilet Cleaner brand and its toilet rescue initiative. He applauded their bravery and willingness to join the campaign to stand up against the use of Unsafe toilets and Open defecation in Nigeria.
One of the major highlights was the surprise appearance of Jpaul- BBNaija Reality TV Star and the famous Nollywood actor Charles Inojie to excite the crowd just before the walk, the moment they came into view, the place was literally razed down in ecstatic uproar.
Speaking at the sensitization walk, the Brand Manager, Hypo Toilet Cleaner, Mr. Chidera Anele while appreciating the stakeholders for their support said, the campaign was aimed at mobilizing high level support and resources towards building a new culture of safe defecation.
“It is the first-time the brand will be leading a walk of this magnitude and we are in awe at the level of turn out and participation by not only the Youth corps members, also the youth corps officials and government office representatives. The aim is to enter neighbourhoods and aggressively comb communities to educate the public on the dangers associated with open defecation and unhealthy toilet hygiene practice” he said.
“Currently, there are over 2,000 Toilet Rescue volunteers from the NYSC, and we will be embarking on our first batch of projects in Lagos across Local Governments nominated by the corps members” he stated.
Corp members – Toilet Rescue Volunteers and other stakeholders made stops at interval to lecture residents, share pamphlets while attending to questions from curious onlookers on the importance and methods to sustaining personal, family and environmental hygiene in the toilets using the brand.
From the Lagos State Ministry of health, representatives were led by Mr. Mr Badejo Isaiah Olusegun (Deputy Director – State Health Education Officer) and Mr Olugbadebo Olawale Stephen (Assistant Chief Health Education Officer – Directorate of Disease Control) while Mr Toheeb Baruwa (Chief Scientific Officer – Sanitation Service Department – School Sanitation) headed delegates from the Lagos Ministry of Environment.