By Ayomide Otitoju
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 for patients across the state.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Health in Alausa, Ikeja, is expected to enhance quality assurance, accountability and technology-driven blood screening services in public health facilities.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, described blood as a “liquid organ” that requires the highest standards of medical precision and government oversight. He said blood transfusion remains a critical public health service that cannot be left solely to market forces because of its direct impact on patient safety and survival.
Abayomi said the state partnered with reputable concessionaires and globally recognised equipment manufacturers to ensure that every unit of blood collected in Lagos is screened using internationally accepted standards capable of detecting transfusion-transmissible infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis.
He noted that advances in screening technology are helping to reduce the diagnostic “window period,” thereby lowering the risk of infected blood being transfused.
“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,” Abayomi said. “When people see that certification, they must have complete confidence that the blood has passed through the highest professional screening standards.”
The commissioner also urged healthy residents to become regular voluntary blood donors, stressing that donated blood saves the lives of mothers, newborns, accident victims and other emergency patients.
He commended the Permanent Secretary, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service and the concessionaires for their commitment, adding that Lagos aims to become a regional hub capable of supporting neighbouring states with safe blood supplies.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, described the agreement as a major reform that would ensure every unit of blood used in Lagos public health facilities is screened using reliable technology, approved standards and traceable processes.
She explained that the concession framework followed an extensive procurement process involving technical, financial and legal reviews, resulting in a comprehensive agreement covering service delivery, harmonised equipment, quality assurance, revenue management, performance monitoring and accountability.
According to her, the initiative aligns with the health and environment pillar of the THEMES+ Agenda and Lagos State’s vision of building a resilient 21st-century healthcare system.
Providing an overview of the arrangement, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said the previous concession expired in June 2023, making it necessary to establish a more transparent and sustainable framework to address operational challenges.
She said the review was prompted by issues including uneven screening capacity, varying equipment across facilities, inconsistent test results, weak traceability and inadequate quality assurance.
Osikomaiya disclosed that the new performance-based agreement expanded from a 15-page document to a detailed 97-page framework with stronger legal, financial and operational safeguards.
She added that the procurement process began in November 2024, with nine bidders evaluated before five concessionaires were selected.
Under the agreement, Roche Products Limited will provide fully automated World Health Organization-compliant blood screening systems through a reagent rental model, while the Lagos State Government will retain regulatory oversight to ensure quality, transparency and accountability throughout the five-year concession.
Speaking on behalf of the concessionaires, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banner Diagnostics, Adetunji Kolawole-Moradeyo, commended the state government for sustaining its blood screening initiative for more than two decades. He also appealed for additional operational space to support the deployment of modern diagnostic equipment.
General Manager of Roche Products Ltd, Roberto Taboada, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the programme, noting that its engineering workforce, warehousing and logistics infrastructure in Nigeria would ensure uninterrupted equipment maintenance, reagent supply and technical support.
In her vote of thanks, Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, thanked all stakeholders for their contributions to the reform process and expressed confidence that the agreement would usher in a new era of safer, more accountable and sustainable blood screening services across Lagos State.
The concession agreement was signed by representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service and the approved concessionaires in the presence of government officials, development partners and industry stakeholders, reaffirming the state’s commitment to strengthening blood safety through public-private collaboration.
