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By Doris Obinna
The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to secure a safe, adequate and sustainable blood supply as the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) took its Voluntary Blood Donation Awareness and One-on-One Sensitisation Campaign directly to residents at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa-Ikeja.
The campaign, held on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, was part of activities marking the LSBTS Blood Awareness Month and was aimed at deepening public understanding of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation as the safest and most reliable source of blood for medical care across the state.
Declaring the event open, the Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, said Lagos, with an estimated population of about 30 million people, requires between 200,000 and 250,000 units of blood annually to meet healthcare demands arising from emergencies, surgeries, childbirth and other critical conditions. He noted that the state recorded about 141,000 units in the last cycle, representing roughly 70 per cent of its target, and commended residents who have continued to donate voluntarily.
Prof Abayomi described blood as a “liquid organ”, stressing that blood transfusion is comparable to organ transplantation and must therefore adhere to strict scientific protocols, including comprehensive screening and accurate donor–recipient matching, to prevent complications and transfusion-related infections. He reassured residents that blood donation poses no health risk to eligible and healthy donors, urging especially young people to cultivate the habit of regular donation as a direct way of saving lives.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said the demand for blood is constant and unavoidable, cutting across daily emergencies such as childbirth complications, road traffic accidents, surgeries and other life-threatening medical conditions. She stated that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued to modernise blood transfusion services through digitisation, improved tracking systems and strengthened safety protocols to ensure that only screened and safe blood is supplied to patients.
Dr Ogunyemi explained that not all prospective donors are accepted, noting that rigorous screening processes are in place to protect both donors and recipients, while continuous training of laboratory and transfusion personnel ensures compliance with global best practices. She emphasised that blood donation is a daily necessity rather than a seasonal activity, calling on residents to overcome fears and myths associated with the process.
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In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, commended the LSBTS and voluntary donors for their commitment, describing blood as a critical resource that underpins effective healthcare delivery. She observed that while demand for blood often increases during festive periods due to higher mobility and accidents, the need remains constant throughout the year, making sustained donation campaigns essential.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of LSBTS, Dr Bodunrin Osikomaiya, decried persistent myths and misconceptions that continue to discourage blood donation in Nigeria, despite the daily occurrence of medical emergencies, deliveries and accidents. She said the campaign was designed to take advocacy directly to the community, starting with government offices, ministries, departments and agencies, as a way of leading by example and encouraging wider participation.
Dr Osikomaiya disclosed that the service is strengthening one-on-one sensitisation to address individual concerns and is opening its facilities to the public to enhance transparency around blood collection, testing, processing and storage. She added that LSBTS has expanded its digital platforms to make information on blood donation more accessible to residents.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr Oluwatoni Adeyemi, urged residents to see blood donation as a continuous civic responsibility rather than a one-off act tied to specific campaigns, stressing the need for collective action to safeguard the state’s blood supply.
Speaking at the event, a donor, Mohammed Asalejo, said he has been donating blood since 2022, adding that the experience has improved his sense of well-being and motivated him to encourage others to donate. Another donor, Alhaji Oladele Asalejo, who has donated blood for over 15 years, described blood donation as beneficial both medically and socially, urging residents not to shy away from the practice.
The event featured awareness talks, donor mobilisation, voluntary blood donation, extensive one-on-one sensitisation and the distribution of information materials, as Lagos State continues to intensify efforts to guarantee a reliable and safe blood supply for its growing population.
