The Director-General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Prof Saleh Yuguda, has called on Nigerians to embrace voluntary blood donation as preparations begin for the 2026 World Blood Donor Day campaign.
In a message to stakeholders and development partners, Yuguda said the campaign would focus on increasing regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donations to ensure a safe and sustainable blood supply across the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted the theme, “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives,” for the 2026 global observance, which seeks to highlight the life-saving impact of blood and plasma donation.
According to Yuguda, the campaign is designed to raise awareness about the critical role blood donors play in healthcare systems while encouraging more people to donate regularly.
“The campaign seeks to drive sustained growth in regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donation worldwide, while raising awareness about the life-saving impact of blood and plasma donation,” he said.
He noted that the initiative would also celebrate blood donors and promote values of solidarity, compassion and humanity.
“The campaign is designed to highlight the invaluable contributions of blood donors and promote the enduring values of solidarity, compassion and humanity that underpin blood donation,” Yuguda added.
The NBSA chief also urged governments, development partners and other stakeholders to increase investments in national blood programmes to improve access to safe transfusion services.
“It will encourage governments, development partners and relevant stakeholders to strengthen and invest in national blood programmes in order to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion services,” he said.
Yuguda disclosed that grassroots mobilisation would be a major component of the 2026 campaign, with advocacy efforts extending beyond hospitals and health facilities into communities nationwide.
Traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, faith-based organisations and other local stakeholders will be engaged to promote voluntary blood donation and strengthen community participation in blood services.
“Traditional institutions, community leaders, youth groups, faith-based organisations and local stakeholders will be actively engaged to domesticate the message of voluntary blood donation at the grassroots level and foster a stronger culture of community ownership of blood services,” he stated.
He explained that the community-focused approach aims to improve public understanding of blood donation, address misconceptions and build sustainable donor pools capable of meeting Nigeria’s blood needs.
World Blood Donor Day is observed annually to honour voluntary blood donors and advocate stronger blood systems capable of meeting transfusion demands for emergencies, maternal healthcare, surgeries and other medical treatments.
The 2026 campaign is expected to mobilise governments, healthcare institutions, civil society groups and citizens worldwide to view blood donation as a humanitarian act that saves lives and expands access to safe blood transfusion services.
