The Lagos state government has signed a five-year Blood Screening and Certification Concession Agreement with approved concessionaires as part of efforts to strengthen blood safety, standardise screening processes and ensure the availability of safe blood across public health facilities.
The agreement, at the Lagos state Ministry of Health, Alausa-Ikeja, is expected to improve quality assurance, accountability and technology-driven blood screening services in the state.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, described blood as a “liquid organ” whose transfusion requires the highest level of medical precision and government oversight.
He said blood transfusion remained one of the critical public health services that could not be left entirely to market forces because of its direct implications for patient safety and survival.
Abayomi said Lagos partnered reputable concessionaires and globally recognised equipment manufacturers to ensure every unit of blood is screened to international standards for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis. He said technology was helping to reduce the diagnostic “window period” and transfusion risks.
“We are working towards two goals simultaneously; meeting the growing demand for blood and ensuring that every unit carrying the Lagos State logo is safe,” he said. Abayomi urged healthy residents to donate blood regularly, noting that donations could save lives, while Lagos aims to become a regional hub for safe blood supplies.
Earlier, the permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, described the agreement as a significant reform that would reinforce government efforts to ensure that every unit of blood used within the state’s health system is screened with reliable technology under approved standards and traceable processes.
Executive secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said the previous concession expired in June 2023, prompting a more structured framework to address uneven screening capacity, varying equipment, discordant results and weak traceability. She said the new agreement expanded from 15 to 97 pages, with stronger safeguards. The procurement process produced five successful concessionaires from nine bidders.