By NETA NWOSU
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
It was an experience like no other in Lagos recently when Unilever Nigeria Plc, a leading player in the Fast Moving Consumer Good (FCMG) industry launched its new advanced Lifebuoy health soap into the market amidst fanfare.
In his remarks during the consumer launch, the Managing Director Mr. Thabo Mabe, said that the decision to launch Lifebuoy into the Nigerian market was the company’s desire to offer consumers world-class health protection and to help reduce the child mortality rate caused by germs and diseases.
He said, “Unhygienic tendencies cut across socio-economic classes among the rich and poor in our society.
The preliminary findings of a recent study implemented by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in collaboration with other partners has revealed that 1 out of 10 children in Nigeria aged 5-10 have germs on their hands that cause diseases like diarrhoea and typhoid. This finding is supported by the fact that while 92% of Nigerian mothers believe handwashing with soap fights germs, only 17% report their children always wash their hands with soap at the critical times. Accordingly, only 20% of mothers in Nigeria link germs on hands with disease. Fortunately, 88% of mothers desire more education on proper handwashing with soap. Our aim therefore is to ensure that guided by these findings we can educate Nigerians on how the simple habit of hand washing with soap can prevent communicable diseases.
The launch of Lifebuoy marks our commitment to fight germs and improve health and hygiene in Nigeria through education on proper hygiene purposes and handwashing with soap. This is consistent with our brand promise to equip the public with the best soap that has agents which prevent the transmission of bacteria and flu-causing viruses.
Later, senior officials of Unilever, led by the Managing Director, Mr. Thabo Mabe, unveiled the new advanced Lifebuoy soap to the Media.
The Lifebuoy vision defines a bigger purpose alongside growth, profit and market share. The brand has the power to inspire, motivate and change lives. Ultimately, this vision to save lives remains unchanged since 1894, and is the shared dream and passion of all the people who work with it.