Pepsodent launched its 2026 World Oral Health Day campaign, themed 'Do The 2', at Unilever's Lagos headquarters in March 2026. The campaign, running from March 16 to March 21, focuses on encouraging Nigerians to brush their teeth twice daily and includes school programmes, public activations, and free dental camps. It will be implemented across 17 states, targeting Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, with the goal of reaching 50 million people. The initiative is a collaboration with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) and supported by the Federal Ministry of Health.
Lauretta Amie, Brand Manager for Pepsodent, stated the campaign aims to reach 500,000 people and promote prevention, detection, and treatment of oral diseases. Dr. Gloria Uzoigwe, Head of the Dentistry Division at the Federal Ministry of Health, praised the public-private partnership, noting its impact on school oral health programmes. NDA President Dr. Emedom Elias linked oral health to overall well-being, saying a "happy mouth is a happy life" and called for integration of oral care into primary healthcare. Abayomi Alli, Head of Supply Chain at Unilever Nigeria Plc, emphasized the connection between oral hygiene and systemic health issues like diabetes and heart disease.
A corporate campaign is filling gaps the government has no visible plan to close. Dr. Emedom Elias's call to integrate oral health into primary care sounds progressive, but without budgetary backing or policy movement from the Ministry, it remains a talking point. When Unilever and the NDA are doing the work of public health education at scale, it shows how far behind official machinery has fallen. This campaign may reach millions, but sustainability depends on more than toothpaste.
