Optimus Bank has started a blood donation campaign in Lagos to strengthen emergency and maternal healthcare services and to help reduce Nigeria’s shortfall in blood supply. The initiative took place under the bank’s corporate social responsibility platform, Impact Starts With Us, and used the theme “GIVE BLOOD. GIVE LIFE.”
The bank said the campaign united its employees, stakeholders and members of the public to give blood. The organisers said the drive aims not only to collect units for immediate use but also to promote regular voluntary donation.
The organisers cited World Health Organization figures showing that Nigeria requires an estimated 1.8 million to two million units of blood each year, yet only 371,827 units were collected in 2024. The WHO statistics also indicate that postpartum haemorrhage accounts for about 23 to 30 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria, which organisers say underlines the need for an available safe blood supply.
Optimus Bank said the drive aimed to provide supplies for patients who frequently require transfusions, including women with bleeding during childbirth, accident victims, children with severe anaemia, people living with sickle cell disorder, cancer patients and those undergoing surgery.
The exercise was conducted with technical support from the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The hospital department provided medical and safety oversight for the collection.
“At Optimus Bank, we believe our responsibility goes beyond banking. The strength of any economy is connected to the wellbeing of its people, and we are committed to using our platform to create meaningful impact in the communities we serve,” Dr Ademola Odeyemi, managing director and chief executive officer of Optimus Bank, said.
Morolake Philip-Ladipo, head of corporate communications at Optimus Bank, said the drive sought to promote voluntary donation. “Behind every unit of blood is the possibility of helping a mother, a child, an accident victim, or a patient receive the care they urgently need,” she said.
Prof Titilope Adeyemo, head of the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at LUTH, said regular voluntary donation remains essential. “A safe and reliable blood supply is critical to saving lives. Regular voluntary blood donation helps ensure that blood is available for emergencies, childbirth, surgery and patients who require ongoing transfusion support,” she said.
Optimus Bank said the blood drive is part of its broader social-impact efforts in healthcare, education, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability, carried out through its Impact Starts With Us platform.
Reports on the initiative were published by Punch and BusinessDay, which carried the bank’s statements and the comments from LUTH.
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