The appeal was made during the National Media Stakeholders Meeting, held as part of the 2025 National Blood Donor Day celebrations, organised by the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) in Abuja.
Themed “From Headlines to Lifelines: Media Advocacy for Voluntary Blood Donation”, the event emphasised the importance of human-centred reporting to inspire citizens to donate blood voluntarily, consistently, and safely across the country.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, urged media to integrate voluntary blood donation campaigns into editorial calendars, humanitarian reporting, human-interest features, and ongoing programming to strengthen Nigeria’s blood donation ecosystem.
Represented by Salaudeen Jimoh, Director of Hospital Services, Pate said the country’s severe shortage of voluntary blood donations, put mothers, children, accident victims, and chronic patients at life-threatening risk nationwide.
He stressed that solutions depended on citizens stepping forward to donate blood voluntarily, safely, generously, and consistently, while emphasising the media’s vital role in informing, educating, and building trust in communities.
The minister charged media professionals, editors, broadcasters, and digital influencers to adopt evidence-based communication, human-centred narratives, and inclusive advocacy, ensuring blood donation messaging resonated with all segments of Nigerian society.
“Let this advocacy go beyond routine messaging, becoming a sustained national movement that embeds blood donation stories across radio, TV, online platforms, and community-level communication networks,” Pate said.
He urged engagement with youth groups, faith-based organisations, market associations, gender advocates, and grassroots networks, ensuring that voluntary blood donation became part of Nigeria’s collective identity and cultural practice.
Prof. Saleh Yuguda, Director-General, NBSA, said that Nigeria required 1.8 million to 2.0 million blood units annually, but currently collected only 500,000 units, meeting just 25–30 per cent of national medical and emergency needs.
He explained that the persistent shortfall of 70–75 per cent forced hospitals to rely on emergency replacement donations from family or paid donors, often undermining blood safety, reliability, and quality nationwide.
Yuguda added that shortages affected emergency trauma care, maternal and child health, surgeries, cancer treatments, and management of chronic conditions such as anemia, stressing the urgent need for voluntary donations.
He emphasised the media’s reach, credibility, and immediacy to transform awareness about blood donation into tangible, lifesaving acts, urging journalists to showcase solutions rather than only report challenges and shortages.
“Feature blood donation in lifestyle sections, morning shows, community bulletins, and investigative pieces.
“Make donor stories a regular focus, highlighting science, safeguards, and the real-world impact of contributions,” he said.
The NBSA boss encouraged citizens to donate, stressing that voluntary blood donation was the foundation of a safe, resilient, and reliable blood supply that protected donors and recipients alike.
Jibril Ndace, Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, highlighted that blood donation was central to national development, urging sustained media visibility to treat blood shortages as a national emergency requiring collective attention.
Grace Ike, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, said media stories could save lives, inspire action, correct misconceptions, and help Nigerians understand the importance of voluntary blood donation nationwide.
Other activities during the celebration included the launch of the Media Blood Donation Challenge 2025, unveiling of the NBSA Digital Media Toolkit for Journalists, donor storytelling sessions, and panel discussions to promote awareness and engagement. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
