by George Ozalla
The National Blood Service Agency has again raised concern over Nigeria’s widening gap in safe blood availability, warning that the country still falls far below the volume required to adequately support emergency care, maternal health, and major surgeries. Health officials say limited voluntary donations, low public awareness, and uneven access to screening facilities continue to undermine hospitals, leaving many centres unable to meet urgent demands when crises arise. Prof. Saleh Yuguda, Director-General of the agency, emphasised the urgency of addressing these gaps to protect public health.
The agency noted that strengthening the national blood system remains a critical public health priority and appealed for wider public participation, improved donation culture, and deeper institutional support to bridge the persistent shortfall. It emphasised that predictable access to safe, well-screened blood is essential for saving lives in accident cases, childbirth complications, and routine medical procedures, yet the current supply remains insufficient for the country’s growing needs.
As the health sector confronts this challenge, journalists from the FCT Correspondents’ Chapel and other stakeholders have renewed calls for stronger collective bargaining within the profession. At the chapel’s end-of-year gathering in Abuja, speakers highlighted the pressures faced by reporters, including long hours, limited protection, and inadequate welfare structures.
They stressed that journalists who work daily to inform the public deserve stable, fair, and safe working conditions. Advocates at the event explained that genuine progress in the industry depends on organised engagement, consistent representation, and the proper use of union structures to negotiate improved welfare, rather than solitary efforts or sporadic interventions.
Participants agreed that sustained collective action remains the most effective path toward better treatment, stronger institutional support, and long-term stability in the media profession.
The NBSA is the national body responsible for regulating, coordinating, and ensuring the availability of safe, quality blood and blood products across Nigeria. Its mandate covers voluntary donation campaigns, screening standards, licensing of blood establishments, and strengthening the infrastructure that connects donors to hospitals. The agency continues to intensify public sensitisation and system upgrades to close the country’s significant blood supply gap.
