WorldStage– The National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) has inaugurated the National Blood Management System (NBMS), a digital platform aimed at strengthening the regulation, coordination and management of blood services across Nigeria.
The Director-General of NBSA, Prof. Saleh Yuguda, announced the inauguration on Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of World Blood Donor Day, themed “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.”
Yuguda said the platform would enhance regulatory oversight by providing an integrated framework for licensing, blood screening, quality assurance, haemovigilance reporting and blood logistics management.
He described the NBMS as a major milestone in the agency’s digital transformation agenda, designed to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability and quality assurance in the national blood system.
According to him, blood establishments and hospitals can now undertake registration, licensing, certification and other critical blood service operations through the online platform.
“By digitising these processes, the NBMS is improving efficiency, transparency, accountability and quality assurance across the national blood ecosystem,” he said.
Yuguda said the system would also support data-driven decision-making and regulatory compliance while helping to ensure the availability of safe blood and blood products nationwide.
The director-general said the agency partnered with Galaxy Backbone to ensure reliable connectivity and effective data management.
“We are using the same software that many government financial agencies are using and adequate arrangements have been made to address any network downtime,” he said.
Yuguda said that safe blood remained indispensable for managing maternal haemorrhage, childhood anaemia, sickle cell disease, trauma cases, cancer treatment and major surgical procedures.
He said Nigeria recorded about 150,000 births annually with sickle cell disease, while increasing cases of cancer and road traffic injuries had further expanded demand for blood and blood components.
According to him, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends annual blood collection equivalent to at least one per cent of a country’s population, requiring Nigeria to collect a minimum of two million units yearly.
He, however, said collection levels remained below the benchmark, attributing the shortfall largely to low numbers of regular voluntary blood donors.
Yuguda emphasised that voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation remained the safest and most sustainable source of blood supply globally and urged Nigerians to donate regularly.
“Blood is an essential commodity that cannot be bought in a supermarket or pharmacy. It has to be given from one human being to another,” he said.
The NBSA boss also dismissed misconceptions that blood donation weakened the body or transfered spiritual attributes, saying donors benefited from free medical checks while helping to save lives.
“The truth is that blood donation actually makes you healthier. Apart from saving lives, donors also benefit from free medical checks,” he said.
The WHO representative at the event, Dr Charan Laxmikant, said access to safe blood and blood products was a cornerstone of resilient health systems and universal health coverage.
“WHO recommends that countries collect at least 10 blood donations per 1,000 population and I congratulate Nigeria because in the last two years, they have doubled this blood donation,” he said.
Dr Bunmi Amao, Director of Prevention Services at APIN Public Health Initiatives, has reaffirmed the organisation’s partnership with the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) in promoting voluntary blood donation across the country.
She said the collaboration was aimed at ensuring the availability of safe blood and blood products for patients in need nationwide.
Amao said APIN supported a secondary school blood safety programme that educated young people on blood donation, healthy lifestyles and safe blood practices.
In her remarks, Shalom Edeh of the Shalom Health Foundation called for stronger community participation in blood donation campaigns.
She emphasised the need for individuals, organisations and communities to support voluntary blood donation efforts to help ensure a steady supply of safe blood for healthcare services.
One of the highlights of the event was the recognition of Amina Wareh, 52, who has donated blood more than 40 times in the past decade.
Wareh said she began donating blood after hearing a radio appeal 10 years ago and encouraged more Nigerians, especially women, to participate in voluntary blood donation.
“If I don’t donate, I feel as if something is missing in me,” she said.
The World Blood Donor Day is observed annually on June 14 to recognise the contributions of voluntary blood donors around the world.
The day also serves to raise awareness of the importance of safe blood and blood products in strengthening healthcare systems and saving lives.
