The Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria has taken a decisive step towards formalising and expanding its century-old medical services with the official launch of AnsarCare, a new healthcare initiative targetting both its vast membership and the general public nationwide.
The programme, unveiled at the society’s National Headquarters in Ajao, Surulere, Lagos, is being positioned by the leadership as a critical response to the soaring cost of medical care and structural deficiencies within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Society’s National President, Prince Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, described the initiative as a move to consolidate and coordinate the organisation’s existing, sporadic medical efforts into a national, impactful programme.
“The aim of AnsarCare is to formalise our existing medical efforts and extend them across all our councils and branches nationwide,” Prince Kazeem stated.
He expressed an ambitious vision for the programme to evolve into a Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) and eventually become as prominent and impactful as international organisations like the Red Cross or Red Crescent.
The President highlighted the economic pressures faced by ordinary Nigerians as a core motivator, noting that access to affordable healthcare has become a major concern. “From drug prices to diagnostic services, medical care has become too expensive. Our members and the communities we serve need help,” he added.
The initiative is set to begin its pilot phase in Osun State, leveraging the society’s functional medical facilities already established there.
Prince Kazeem confirmed that a temporary medical outreach team would deliver services to members and surrounding communities, with plans to gradually replicate this model across the society’s seven councils and 187 branches.
The implementation will be steered by a newly inaugurated 10-member AnsarCare Committee, chaired by President of the Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU), Dr. Abdulganiy Labinjo and others, including Dr. Hafiz Akande, Dr. Rasheed Adekeye Odunola, Alhaja Ganiat Toluwaloju, Dr. Kamaldeen Adelowo, Dr. Abdulfatai Odemuyiwa, Dr. Tunji Akintade, Dr. Fouad Adetoro (Joint Secretary), Abdulwahab Oseni (Joint Secretary) and Alhaji Lateef Aremu Oridota, National Welfare Secretary.
Prince Kazeem charged the committee with upholding the Society’s core values of volunteerism and selfless service to the cause of Allah.
Speaking virtually at the launch, Dr. Labinjo accepted the mandate and stressed the committee’s focus on accessibility and affordability, echoing the President’s concerns.
“Healthcare, as defined by the World Health Organization, goes beyond just treating the sick. It is also not cheap. Our job is to put systems in place to make it more accessible and affordable, not necessarily free,” Dr. Labinjo said.
He commended the Society’s financial backing, revealing that N5 million has already been allocated to kickstart the project, and called for broader support from the community.
A committee member, Dr. Tunji Akintade, reinforced the community-driven nature of the project. Acknowledging the abysmal state of the nation’s health system, citing poor maternal and child health indices. “Our most important task is to mobilise beneficiaries to contribute to the pool of funds that will sustain this project,” he stated. He stressed the need for accurate data collection to plan and run the system effectively.
