Optimus Bank on Sunday launched a blood donation drive in Lagos to support emergency and maternal healthcare and to help close Nigeria’s gap in blood supply, the bank said.
The campaign, held under the bank’s corporate social responsibility platform, Impact Starts With Us, carried the theme “GIVE BLOOD. GIVE LIFE.” It brought together employees, stakeholders and members of the public to donate blood, the bank said.
The drive was organised with technical support from the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The bank said the collaboration ensured the collection followed medical and safety standards.
The initiative aims not only to collect units for immediate need but also to encourage a culture of regular voluntary donation, Optimus Bank said. The bank listed healthcare, education, empowerment and environmental sustainability as the main areas of its Impact Starts With Us platform.
The campaign comes against a backdrop of large shortfalls in Nigeria’s blood supply. Citing World Health Organization data, the bank noted Nigeria needs an estimated 1.8 million to two million units of blood each year but collected only 371,827 units in 2024. The WHO figures also indicate postpartum haemorrhage accounts for roughly 23 to 30 percent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Optimus Bank’s managing director and chief executive officer, Dr Ademola Odeyemi, said the bank believes its responsibility extends beyond financial services and that healthy communities are essential to a thriving economy. He said the drive was intended to encourage Nigerians to donate blood and give patients “another chance at life.” The quote was provided in statements posted by the bank and reported by news outlets.
Morolake Philip-Ladipo, head of corporate communications at Optimus Bank, described the initiative as ultimately about people. She said every unit of blood could help a mother, a child, an accident victim or a patient in need of urgent care.
Prof Titilope Adeyemo, head of the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at LUTH, emphasised the role of voluntary donation in maintaining a safe and reliable blood supply for emergencies, childbirth, surgery and patients requiring regular transfusions.
Both national papers covering the launch said Optimus Bank intends for the campaign to extend beyond the immediate collection by promoting regular voluntary donation among Nigerians.
The bank framed the activity as part of its wider commitment to responsible corporate citizenship and sustainable community impact. It said healthier communities are better able to learn, work and contribute to economic growth.
Featured image: Jeremy Weate from Abuja, Nigeria via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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