‘Nigeria Faces Persistent Blood Shortage’

Blood shortage across public and private hospitals in Nigeria has continued to be a serious challenge, which is currently undermining maternal healthcare, emergency response, surgical procedures and the treatment of accident victims.

The founder of Doubleyou Centre, Mr Israel Yabkwa, who expressed the concern during the 2026 National Blood Drive conducted across the country, said that the urgent need to encourage voluntary blood donation is necessary to address the critical need Nigeria is grappling with.

Mr Yabkwa said the nationwide initiative was designed to bridge the gap through large-scale mobilisation of voluntary donors across communities.

“Blood shortage remains a major challenge in Nigeria, affecting maternal care, accident victims, surgeries and emergency medical response.

“This initiative is designed to address this challenge through large-scale voluntary donor mobilisation,” Yabkwa said.

He explained that the exercise was carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other health stakeholders to ensure safe blood collection, proper donor screening, and strict medical oversight.

Mr Yabkwa described the National Blood Drive as a coordinated humanitarian intervention aimed at strengthening the availability of safe blood for hospitals and emergency care services nationwide.

He noted that the 2026 edition was implemented simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with donation and mobilisation centres situated in universities, faith-based organisations, youth groups, volunteer networks, and community outreach platforms.

The Doubleyou Centre founder called on corporate organisations, institutions, and development partners to support the initiative through awareness-raising, volunteer mobilisation, and logistical and financial support.

According to him, the programme seeks to mobilise thousands of voluntary donors, improve blood supply in health facilities, save lives by ensuring timely access to safe blood, and foster a culture of humanitarian service and national solidarity.

Mr Yabkwa further revealed that the success of the 2025 blood drive, held under the theme “That They May Have Life” in Lagos, Jos, Jalingo, and Abuja, inspired its expansion into a nationwide campaign.

He described Doubleyou Innovation Centre as a technology-driven organisation committed to building scalable digital solutions that expand access to knowledge, empower young people and drive social impact across Africa.

He added that the Centre’s flagship platform, Labari Books, delivers learning content in multiple formats: read, listen, and watch, thereby redefining knowledge access for a new generation.

“Beyond product innovation, Doubleyou has demonstrated strong execution capacity by successfully coordinating a nationwide humanitarian initiative such as the National Blood Drive,” he said.

Mr Yabkwa added that the Centre continues to partner with governments, global institutions and development organisations to design and implement solutions that deliver measurable impact at scale.