…Seeks stronger partnership to boost voluntary blood donation

The National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s widening blood supply gap, revealing that the country is currently able to meet only about one-third of its annual blood requirement, a situation it says continues to endanger the lives of thousands of patients requiring emergency blood transfusions.

The agency disclosed this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at its South-West Zonal Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, where government officials, haematologists, development partners, healthcare providers, voluntary blood donors and civil society organisations deliberated on strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s blood transfusion system.

The meeting, themed “Normalizing Voluntary Blood Donation: The Role of Different Stakeholders in Transfusion Medicine,” marked the conclusion of activities commemorating the 2026 World Blood Donor Day.

In his welcome address, the South-West Zonal Director of the NBSA, Dr. Oladapo Aworanti, said the stakeholders’ engagement was conceived earlier in the year to review the agency’s activities and identify practical solutions to the challenges confronting blood transfusion services across the country.

According to him, the agency remains committed to its mandate of providing safe and adequate blood for every Nigerian in need.

“Our agenda covers every phase of transfusion medicine, from voluntary blood donation to safe laboratory screening and effective transfusion practices. This is not a jamboree but a strategic gathering designed to reposition blood transfusion services and chart a collective path forward,” he said.

Aworanti said Nigeria’s blood supply remains grossly inadequate despite its large population, explaining that the World Health Organization recommends that at least one per cent of a country’s population should donate blood annually to meet national demand.

“If Nigeria has about 220 million people, our annual blood requirement should be about 2.2 million units of blood. If we are 250 million, the demand rises to 2.5 million units. Sadly, across Africa, including Nigeria, we can only meet the needs of one out of every three people requiring blood transfusion,” he said.

“If three patients urgently need blood today, we struggle to provide blood for just one of them. Even among the blood we are able to collect, there are concerns about how much comes from commercial or paid donors, which poses additional safety risks for recipients.”

He stressed that increasing voluntary, unpaid blood donation remains the safest and most sustainable way of guaranteeing adequate blood supply.

“We want to engage every stakeholder. We want to know whether healthcare facilities are doing enough, whether we are adequately taking care of our voluntary donors, and what more governments can do to strengthen blood transfusion services. This meeting is about finding practical solutions that will benefit not only Oyo State but eventually every state in the South-West and Nigeria as a whole.”

Aworanti disclosed that recommendations from the meeting would be documented and forwarded to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja where necessary, while issues within the capacity of the zonal office would receive immediate attention.

“We are determined to follow through. Whatever actions are required at the zonal level will be implemented immediately, while policy recommendations requiring national attention will be transmitted to Abuja. Our goal is continuous improvement.”

Delivering the keynote lecture, Prof. Taiwo Kotila, Professor of Haematology and Dean of the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, described voluntary blood donation as the foundation of every effective healthcare system.

She said many deaths arising from childbirth complications, accidents, major surgeries, childhood anaemia, cancers and other medical emergencies could be prevented if safe blood was readily available.

“Blood is the only medicine that cannot be manufactured in any laboratory. It can only come from healthy people who willingly donate to save the lives of others,” she said.

Kotila urged Nigerians to embrace regular voluntary blood donation, noting that dependence on family replacement and commercial blood donors is neither sustainable nor the safest option.

“Countries with efficient blood transfusion systems depend largely on voluntary, unpaid donors. Nigeria must deliberately build that culture if we are serious about guaranteeing safe blood for every patient that needs it.”

She explained that a single blood donation could benefit several patients because donated blood is separated into different components for different medical conditions.

“Every eligible Nigerian should see blood donation as an act of humanity and civic responsibility. One unit of blood has the potential to save multiple lives. There is no greater gift than giving someone another chance to live.”

The professor also called for sustained collaboration among governments, healthcare institutions, educational institutions, religious organisations, corporate bodies and development partners to promote voluntary blood donation across the country.

She further urged healthcare providers to maintain global standards in blood screening, storage and transfusion, stressing that increasing blood supply must go hand in hand with guaranteeing blood safety.

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akintunde Kehinde Ayinde, the Director of Medical Laboratory Services, Dr. Kehinde Adegoke, said the state government is strengthening its regulatory framework to improve blood transfusion services.

“The government is aware of these challenges and is working to ensure that the necessary legal framework is in place. Beyond legislation, we have monitoring teams that regularly inspect healthcare facilities to ensure compliance with approved standards,” he said.

According to Adegoke, any healthcare facility found violating blood transfusion regulations would face appropriate sanctions, including closure where necessary.

He also commended the NBSA for supporting Oyo State in screening donated blood and filling critical gaps in blood safety.

“The NBSA has remained a dependable partner. They have continued to support the state by ensuring that blood used for transfusion is properly screened and complies with quality management standards,” he added.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, shared Lagos State’s experience in building a more effective blood transfusion system through sustained public awareness, stronger regulation and institutional support.

She encouraged other states to adopt proven strategies that have helped improve voluntary blood donation and blood safety in Lagos, stressing that collaboration and knowledge-sharing among states would strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Participants at the meeting included representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), APIN, University College Hospital (UCH), voluntary blood donor associations, healthcare institutions, development partners and other stakeholders in transfusion medicine.