The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has described the rising incidence of sickle cell disease in Nigeria as a national emergency and called for urgent, coordinated action to address it.

The agency’s Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, made the call during a sensitisation walk and outreach organised in partnership with the Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation in Abuja. The event, tagged “Walk for Life”, began at Jabi Lake and extended through the Jabi–Airport Road corridor.

Represented by Dr. Olufemi Ayoola, NOA’s Director of Health and Social Care, Issa-Onilu stressed the importance of genotype testing before marriage as a key step in curbing the spread of the disease.

“Sickle cell disease remains a public health concern in Nigeria not only because we have the highest burden globally, but also due to the pain, loss, and preventable suffering it continues to inflict across all regions and social classes,” he said.

He noted that over 150,000 children are born with the disease annually in Nigeria, many of whom do not live beyond the age of five.

“This is not just a statistic—it is a national emergency,” he said. “A simple blood test, done early, can prevent generations of pain. We must begin to see genotype compatibility not as a romantic inconvenience but as a moral and medical duty.”

Founder of the Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation, Ms. Rebi Maidunama, described the situation as “a time bomb,” stressing that one in four Nigerians is either a carrier (AS) or has the disease (SS).

“Many young people are getting married without knowing their genotype,” she said. “This ignorance leads to lifelong suffering for children. We can’t keep ignoring this.”

Maidunama said the partnership with NOA was driven by the agency’s “Do the Right Thing” campaign, which aligns with the foundation’s mission to promote awareness and early testing.