Good morning and Happy Handwashing Day!

Before we get down to the very important business of the day, I would like to thank a number of people. Firstly, thank you to our partners at Unilever Lifebuoy, with whom we are committed to reaching 2 million children over the next year, teaching them proper hand hygiene techniques. It is a special partnership, one which is founded on a passion for saving lives through improved water, sanitation and hygiene. Your work all over the world has been an inspiration and I am delighted that you are now here in Nigeria. Together I know that we can not only educate but advocate for the drastic improvements in WASH standards that we know are necessary. Thank you also to Omawumi. Unilever Lifebuoy and this partnership are so very lucky to have you as the brand ambassador. For you to use your star status to get the key messages across to a wider audience is wonderful. You truly are a ‘Wonder Woman’ – thank you. 

Thank you to the staff here at Command Primary School for hosting us today. By doing so you are providing a great service to your students and your community. Handwashing with soap is a highly effective way to prevent the spread of disease and save lives. It will keep your students healthy and make sure that they don’t miss any lessons! 

Most of all I say thank you to the students. Not for being here today: I am a realist and I am quite sure that your teachers have instructed you to attend! However, I would still like to thank you for what I hope that you will do after today. If you pay close attention today, you too can be ambassadors for good handwashing. 

You are about to be taught a very important skill. It may seem a simple one: but it is life-saving. It is a skill you should share with your friends, your parents and your whole family, because it will keep them and you healthy. There are some things that are very dangerous that we cannot see. Washing those things away means that we don’t pass them on to other people or make ourselves sick. I have been told that you are all excellent students so I am confident that I can count on you to all be brilliant handwashing ambassadors – to tell everyone you know how to do it properly, when the key occasions to wash your hands are, and to tell off anyone who does not do it! Am I right?
I certainly hope so. Thank you again and let’s do some handwashing!