In a renewed effort to strengthen voluntary blood donation and address supply gaps, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) on Wednesday convened its 2026 Blood Donor Mobiliser Stakeholders’ Engagement in Ikeja, bringing together donor mobilisers, partners and civil society organisations across the state.
The engagement, themed “Voluntary Donors, Sustainable Blood: Securing Lagos State’s Blood Supply,” aimed to align stakeholders with 2026 donor recruitment targets, improve donor retention, address barriers to donation and strengthen partnerships to ensure a reliable supply of safe blood for patients.
Welcoming participants, the Executive Secretary of LSBTS, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said blood demand in Lagos remains constant due to childbirth complications, accidents, surgeries, sickle cell crises and cancer care, while donation levels continue to fluctuate, especially during festive periods.
She stressed that blood cannot be manufactured or substituted, noting that only consistent voluntary, non-remunerated donation can guarantee safety and sustainability. Dr. Osikomaiya described donor mobilisers as the most critical link in the blood supply chain, adding that infrastructure and policies alone cannot save lives without willing donors and trusted community advocates.
According to her, LSBTS’s 2026 strategy will prioritise recruiting more first-time voluntary donors and converting them into regular donors through better follow-up, donor care, recognition and an “each one reach one or two” referral approach, supported by clearer performance indicators and coordinated outreach plans.
Presenting the donor recruitment outlook, the Head of Donor Recruitment and Retention, Ms. Olayinka Animashaun, disclosed that in 2025 the service recruited 7,670 donors, achieving 5,656 successful donations from 216 blood drives across the state, despite challenges such as low awareness, myths, poor connectivity and space constraints.
She said the improved turnout was driven by stronger face-to-face advocacy, pre-donation counselling and enhanced donor services, adding that the 2026 focus would be on deeper community engagement, improved donor experience and addressing misconceptions that discourage eligible residents.
Speaking for partners, representatives from Rotary Club of Lagos Palm Grove Estate, One Health Lifesavers, KBK Club and the Diabetes & Limb Salvage Foundation emphasised collaboration, noting that sustained awareness, shared networks and normalising blood donation in families and communities are essential to saving lives and securing Lagos State’s blood supply.
