The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, has partnered with Dettol Clean Naija to take hand washing advocacy to public primary schools across the State with the aim of containing the deadly COVID-19 infection.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs. Solape Hammond, stated that the core objectives of the advocacy exercise are to teach pupils hygiene and prevention from contracting diseases, saying “It has been posited that hands are the easiest way of contracting diseases, and the best way of prevention of diseases is through the regular washing of hands”.

She added that the partnership with Dettol could not have come at a better time as Dettol Clean Naija already commenced a hand washing campaign in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world and the recent index case identified in Lagos State.

“We want to assure Lagosians that we are not resting until we kick out COVID-19 and ensure the safety of our children and every member of our society. Efforts are ongoing to spread the message of hand washing and inculcate this hygienic habit into our primary school pupils through our reliable partners”, Hammond revealed.

The hand washing exercise, which kicked off today in schools within Ikeja Local Government Area, would involve the distribution of soaps to 50,000 pupils in 59 public primary schools across the 20 Local Government Areas in the State, and will run for 20 days.

Pupils will also, be taught the importance of the regular and proper way of washing their hands and its benefits.

The Office has also used the opportunity to engage volunteers across the State, through the Lagos State Volunteer Corps Programme, to work closely with the Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment as well as representatives from Dettol Clean Naija to spread the message of regular and proper hand washing to pupils.