By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a new cadre of Tuberculosis (TB) Champions and Ambassadors, drawn from female legislators, newly elected female council chairmen, spouses of House of Assembly members and wives of local government chairmen, in a major push to intensify community-level TB control efforts.
The investiture ceremony, held on Monday at the First Lady’s Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Alausa, was led by the First Lady and State TB Champion, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu. She described the initiative as a renewed strategy to empower women leaders to drive awareness, expand early testing, reduce stigma and reinforce treatment adherence across the state’s 57 LGAs and LCDAs.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu noted that Lagos has successfully secured three of its four female lawmakers as TB Champions and invested seven female council chairmen, alongside 20 council chairmen’s wives and seven wives of Assembly members, as part of its strengthened TB advocacy structure. She disclosed that more than 19,500 TB patients were notified in 2024, with 11,725 receiving treatment between January and September 2025.
She urged the honourees to leverage their influence in households and communities to promote TB education, push for increased local funding, integrate awareness into community engagements and support patients who face stigma, job loss and discrimination.
The First Lady underscored the risks of delayed diagnosis and drug-resistant TB, stressing that community engagement remains the most effective line of defence in a densely populated state of over 30 million residents. She also commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his support and acknowledged the First Lady of Nigeria’s mobilisation of N2 billion for TB response efforts.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described TB as one of the world’s most dangerous infections and highlighted the dangers of patients abandoning treatment prematurely, which fuels drug-resistant strains that require prolonged and costly therapy. He said the investiture represents a shift toward community-driven detection and treatment monitoring.
Special Adviser on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, commended the First Lady for championing priority health issues and said the new ambassadors would enhance awareness, reduce stigma and improve access to care.
Chairman of the Lagos State TB Steering Committee, Dr. Abimbola Mabogunje, described the investiture as both symbolic and strategic, as the honoured women occupy positions capable of shaping community attitudes and health-seeking behaviour. She urged them to promote screenings, timely referrals and treatment support.
Team Lead, National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr. Emperor Ubochioma, praised Lagos for its consistent leadership in TB control, noting that the First Lady’s advocacy had strengthened Nigeria’s visibility at global health forums.
Vice Chair of the Stop TB Partnership, Geneva, Austin Obiefuna, commended the state’s political commitment and said the honourees’ grassroots influence would be instrumental in meeting the End TB 2030 target.
WHO representative, Dr. Vivian Ebeziako, congratulated the new TB Champions and described the First Lady’s leadership as a regional benchmark. She reaffirmed WHO’s support for Lagos in strengthening primary healthcare and expanding TB services statewide.
