The Federal Government has launched the Safe Blood Project, a flagship initiative aimed at strengthening transfusion services and ending preventable deaths linked to unsafe or unavailable blood.
The programme, inaugurated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano, is Nigeria’s first national training scheme dedicated to transfusion safety.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Salaudeen Olawale Jimoh, described the project as a landmark in the country’s healthcare reforms.
“Safe blood is not just a medical commodity; it is a lifeline,” Prof. Pate said. “Every day in Nigeria, mothers in childbirth, children with severe anaemia, accident victims, and surgical patients depend on blood to survive. Unsafe transfusion practices can cause harm rather than healing, which is why this project is so vital.”
He noted that the initiative aligned with government priorities on reducing maternal and child mortality, expanding emergency care, and advancing universal health coverage.
Director-General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Prof. Saleh Yuguda, stressed that safe blood requires trained personnel, effective systems, and strict adherence to standards, not just infrastructure. He announced that the project would be scaled up across all 36 states to guarantee access in both urban and rural areas.
The project is the product of long-standing collaboration with international experts, including Prof. Andreas Greinacher of the University of Greifswald, Germany. He urged Nigeria to invest more in research and innovation, saying such efforts would strengthen not only health outcomes but also the wider economy. Funding support for the project comes from the Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung (EKFS), a German foundation with a record of healthcare interventions across Africa.
Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdulrahman Sheshe, described Kano’s selection as host as strategic and timely, noting that blood is critical to every surgical procedure.
Frontline doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and donor recruiters were recognised as central to the success of the programme, while traditional and religious leaders in Kano were commended for encouraging voluntary blood donations, likened to sadaqah jariyah a continuous charity in Islam.
Health experts at the launch hailed the initiative as a milestone that would reduce preventable deaths and bring Nigeria closer to international best practices in transfusion medicine.
“This launch represents our renewed determination to guarantee that every Nigerian, regardless of location or circumstance, has access to safe, adequate, and quality-assured blood whenever needed,” Prof. Pate affirmed.
