Lagos State Government on Tuesday 28th July, 2026 signed a five-year Blood Screening and Certification Concession Agreement with approved concessionaires, marking a major milestone in its drive to strengthen blood safety, standardise screening processes and guarantee the availability of safe blood for patients across the state. The agreement, signed at the Conference Room of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Alausa-Ikeja, is expected to improve 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” whose transfusion demands the highest level of medical precision and government oversight. He said blood transfusion remains one of the few critical public health services that cannot be left entirely to market forces because of its direct implications for patient safety and survival.

Abayomi explained that the state government had deliberately partnered with reputable concessionaires and globally recognised original equipment manufacturers to ensure that every unit of blood collected in Lagos is screened using internationally accepted standards capable of detecting transfusion-transmissible infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis. According to him, advancing technology is helping to narrow the diagnostic “window period”, thereby reducing risks to recipients.

“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,” the Commissioner 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 appealed to healthy residents to become regular voluntary blood donors, stressing that every donation represents a lifeline for mothers, newborns, accident victims and other emergency patients. While commending the Permanent Secretary, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service and the concessionaires for their commitment, Abayomi said Lagos would continue striving for excellence with the ambition of eventually becoming a regional hub capable of supporting neighbouring states with safe blood supplies.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, described the agreement as a significant reform that reinforces government efforts to ensure every unit of blood used within the state’s health system is screened through reliable technology under approved standards and traceable processes.

She noted that the concession framework emerged after an extensive public procurement process involving technical, financial and legal reviews, resulting in a comprehensive agreement with clear provisions on service delivery, harmonised equipment, quality assurance, revenue management, performance monitoring and accountability. She added that the initiative aligns with the health and environment pillar of the THEMES+ Agenda and Lagos’ aspiration to build a resilient 21st-century health system.

Lajide congratulated the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service for her professional leadership throughout the reform process and reminded all parties that the signing ceremony marked only the beginning of implementation. “The true success of this agreement will be measured by the quality, reliability and safety of services delivered to the people of Lagos State,” she said.

Providing an overview of the concession arrangement, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said the previous concession agreement expired in June 2023, making it necessary to develop a more structured, transparent and sustainable framework capable of addressing operational gaps that had emerged over the years.

Osikomaiya explained that the review was prompted by challenges including uneven screening capacity, varying equipment across facilities, discordant test results, weak traceability and inadequate quality assurance. She disclosed that the new agreement had expanded from a 15-page document to a detailed 97-page performance-based framework incorporating stronger legal, financial and operational safeguards.

She further revealed that the procurement process commenced in November 2024, with expressions of interest advertised publicly before a rigorous evaluation reduced nine prospective bidders to five successful concessionaires. Under the agreement, she said, Roche Products Limited will provide fully automated World Health Organization-compliant screening systems through a reagent rental model, while Lagos State Government will maintain regulatory oversight to ensure sustained quality, transparency and accountability throughout the five-year concession period.

Speaking on behalf of the concessionaires, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banner Diagnostics, Adetunji Kolawole-Moradeyo, commended the state government for sustaining a blood screening initiative that began more than two decades ago. He praised the remarkable transformation of screening centres across Lagos but appealed for additional operational space to support deployment of modern diagnostic equipment required under the new agreement.

Also delivering a goodwill message, General Manager, Roche Products Ltd, Roberto Taboada, pledged the company’s full commitment to the success of the initiative. He said Roche’s direct presence in Nigeria, including its engineering workforce, warehousing and logistics infrastructure, would guarantee uninterrupted equipment maintenance, reagent supply and technical support for the blood screening programme.

In her vote of thanks, Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, appreciated all stakeholders for their dedication throughout the lengthy reform process. She expressed confidence that the newly signed agreement would usher in a new era of safer, more accountable and sustainable blood screening services across Lagos State over the next five years.

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 senior government officials, development partners and industry stakeholders, reaffirming Lagos State’s commitment to strengthening blood safety through effective public-private collaboration.

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