• Says it also accounts for 40% maternal mortality
• Oluremi Tinubu urges Nigerians to donate blood

National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) has said that non-availability of blood accounts for about 40 per cent of maternal mortality and 30 per cent of accident-related deaths in Nigeria.

The agency said Nigeria was facing a severe shortage of safe blood supply, stressing that out of over the two million units of blood needed every year, the country got less than half of the units needed.

The Director General of the NBSA, Prof Saleh Yuguda, spoke at a special marathon to commemorate the 2025 World Blood Donor Day in Abuja. He lamented that many lives had been lost in the country not because treatment was not available, but because of the non-availability of blood, warning that for as long as the country was unable to meet up with the demand, touting and racketeering of blood and blood products would continue to thrive.

According to him, the situation can improve if only one per cent of the country’s adult population commits themselves to voluntary non-remunerated blood donation regularly.

Yuguda, who observed that the use of blood and blood products, had become an integral part of modern medical practices, pointed out that a single pint of blood could save up to three lives.

He said, “This year’s theme, “Give Blood, Give Hope: Together We Save Lives”, is not just a slogan. It is a call to action, a reminder of our shared humanity, and a promise that by giving a small part of ourselves, we can offer someone else a second chance at life.”

According to Yuguda, access to safe blood is a key component of an effective health system and a significant building block to realise health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

In her remarks at the event, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urged Nigerians to embrace the act of donating blood in order to save the lives of Nigerians in critical need of blood for survival.

The First Lady, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, said the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Give Blood, Give Hope. Together, We Save Lives’, speaks directly to the heart of humanity and the power of community, describing blood donation as very crucial in saving the lives of a mother, a child, a victim of a road accident, or a patient undergoing surgery.

She expressed hope that the marathon would be the beginning of a movement where voluntary blood donation would become a norm in every Nigerian community.