Consumers have applauded Harpic experience moment which was designed by Reckitt Benckiser, the market leader in health, hygiene and home care products to commemorate the World Toilet Day (WTD). The activation was also aimed at educating Nigerians on the need to have clean and hygienic toilets. The experience train which visited Oke-Arin, Agege, Mushin and Ikotun markets in Lagos gave market women and men the sense of hygiene, thus setting the pace for behavioural change.
Harpic, a toilet cleaner for clean, germ- free and freshened toilet marked the first WTD in Nigeria to bring to the front burner the importance of having access to a clean toilet. The brand also projected the potential health implications of keeping an unclean toilet, as well as the vulnerability it posses especially to Women and Children. Research shows that only 30% of Nigerians have access to flushable toilets, while about 20% still have no latrines.
Adegbite Temitope, an IT student with Alimosho local government in Ikotun who experienced the mobile toilet, described the initiative as a way of helping Nigerians to understand the danger in open defecation and the need to educate everyone on the importance of proper maintenance of toilets at home and public places such as the Market. She commended the brand for having the interest and well-being of Nigerians at heart, and further encouraged them to create more ideas that would promote hygiene.
Charles Nwakpa, a shop owner at Agege market – who also experienced the activation described his experience as interesting. “Ordinarily, most people shy away from discussing anything that has to do with toilets, but here is a company that is giving its all to teach people how to use and maintain flush toilet. Some of the people here are used to pit toilets which is not too hygienic. I commend them for this initiative.”
Alhaja Aminatu Bashiru, another shop owner at Agege market also commended Harpic for teaching market women simple hygiene. “You will know a clean woman by visiting her toilet and kitchen. If these two places are not clean you can assess the woman. As market women, we spend the whole day in the market and this is one of the rare moments that someone is coming to teach us about hygiene and good toilets. I thank them for this initiative.”
In his own comment, Junior Ibrahim who spoke from Mushin market activation point said Harpic experience moment should be a continuous programme because of the positive impact it is having on the people. “It is not just about using the mobile toilet, but knowing how toilet should be flushed and washed after use and other hygienic rules that should be followed to avoid diseases. This is commendable; I believe we were able to contain the dreaded Ebola because of the awareness about hygiene and cleanliness that was carried out by the government and others.”
It would be recalled that the Reckitt Benckiser’s Marketing Director – West Africa, Mr. Oguzhan Silivrili, stated at the flag-off of the activation, that the Harpic Experience Moments is a set of activities that began with reaching 1million homes across 16 cities within the country to educate consumers about how to keep a clean and hygienic toilet.
He pointed out that: “This world toilet day marks the flag off of the Harpic Mobile Toilet Experience Train that would be rolled out to increase access to clean toilet especially in public places where toilets are dilapidated or nonexistent. The Harpic train would kick off in Lagos state which has only 45% access to flush toilets in the following communities, Lagos Island, Mushin, Agege and Ikotun where residents will be sensitized on the need to maintain clean toilets. During these Harpic Experience Moments, Consumers – especially women – would be taught the simple methods of keeping their toilets clean using Harpic.”
The World Toilet Organization was founded by Jack Sim, a Singapore business tycoon in 2001 and it is now a growing network of 235 organisations in 58 countries including Nigeria where a “World Toilet Day” is celebrated to create awareness towards improving the state of toilets and sanitation globally.
(L-R) Area Sales Manager Lagos North West Reckitt Benckiser, Akinpelu Segun, Territory Sales Manager Lagos North West, Adisa Adeyemi, Assistant Brand Manager Harpic, Ebunoluwa Longe and the Regional Sales Manager Lagos, Shittu Abayomi at the Harpic Experience Moment in Ikotun market Lagos.