By Zainab Rauf, Abuja The Zahra Relief Foundation has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) t...
By Zainab Rauf, Abuja
The Zahra Relief Foundation has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) to strengthen voluntary blood donation, emergency response, and public awareness initiatives aimed at saving lives across Nigeria.
The commitment was made during an advocacy visit
by the Foundation to the headquarters of the NBSA in Abuja on Thursday, January
21, 2026.
Speaking during the visit, the Chairman of Zahra
Relief Foundation, Dr. Ibraheem Aqil, said the Foundation’s humanitarian mandate
aligns closely with that of the National Blood Service Agency, particularly in
the areas of health and emergency response. He appreciated the Director-General
of the Agency, Professor Saleh Yuguda, and the management for granting the
audience.
Dr. Aqil explained that Zahra Relief
Foundation, established in 2010 by the leader of the Islamic movement, Sheikh
Ibraheem Zakzaky, is a duly registered humanitarian organisation committed
to supporting vulnerable and needy members of society. He said the Foundation
operates across several sectors, including healthcare delivery, emergency
response, education, community development, orphan support, and skills
empowerment.
According to him, the Foundation’s
interventions are not limited to adherents of the Islamic movement but are
extended to all Nigerians regardless of religion, ethnicity, or social
background.
Highlighting areas of possible collaboration,
Dr. Aqil noted that the Foundation, through the Islamic movement, has a strong
grassroots presence across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal
Capital Territory. He said this network could be effectively mobilised to
support voluntary blood donation drives nationwide, as had been done on several
occasions in the past.
He expressed the Foundation’s openness to
partnerships with the Agency in blood donation advocacy, emergency response
efforts, and capacity-building programmes such as training and workshops, all
in the collective interest of humanity.
In his response, the Director-General of the
National Blood Service Agency, Professor Saleh Yuguda, welcomed the delegation
and commended Zahra Relief Foundation and adherents of the Islamic movement for
their long-standing culture of voluntary blood donation, which he described as
a major support to the Agency’s operations.
Professor Yuguda stressed the need to
institutionalise blood donation beyond the annual Al-Muharram period, noting
that sustained donations throughout the year would significantly help in
addressing recurring blood shortages in the country. He also called on the
Foundation to support public enlightenment campaigns to promote voluntary blood
donation as a critical lifesaving practice.
Officials present at the meeting from the
Agency included the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Blood
Services, and the Director of Finance and Accounts. The Zahra Relief Foundation
delegation featured the Director of Health, Director of Project Management, a
representative of the Director of Human Resources, and other senior officials.
The
advocacy visit deepened a shared commitment by both organisations to enhance collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s blood supply system and improving
emergency health outcomes nationwide.
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