The Lagos State Government has signed a five-year Blood Screening and Certification Concession Agreement with approved concessionaires in a landmark move aimed at strengthening blood safety, standardising screening processes and ensuring the availability of safe blood for patients across public health facilities in the state.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Health Conference Room in Alausa, Ikeja, is expected to enhance quality assurance, improve accountability and deploy advanced technology to blood screening services across government hospitals.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described blood as a “liquid organ” whose transfusion requires the highest level of medical precision and regulatory oversight.
He noted that blood transfusion remains one of the most critical healthcare services and should not be left entirely to market forces because of its direct impact on patient safety and survival.
According to the Commissioner, the State Government deliberately partnered with reputable concessionaires and globally recognised original equipment manufacturers to ensure that every unit of blood collected in Lagos undergoes screening using internationally accepted standards capable of detecting transfusion-transmissible infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis.
He explained that advances in diagnostic technology continue to reduce the “window period” for detecting infections, thereby significantly lowering the risk of disease transmission through blood transfusion.
“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 appealed to healthy residents to become regular voluntary blood donors, stressing that every blood donation could save the lives of mothers experiencing childbirth complications, accident victims, newborns 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 to the initiative, adding that Lagos remains committed to becoming a regional centre of excellence capable of supporting neighbouring states with safe blood supplies.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, described the concession agreement as a major reform that reinforces the government’s determination to ensure that every unit of blood used within the state’s healthcare system is screened using reliable technology, approved standards and traceable processes.
She explained that the concession framework followed an extensive public procurement process involving rigorous technical, financial and legal assessments, culminating 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 Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ Development Agenda and the state’s vision of building a resilient 21st-century healthcare system.
Lajide congratulated the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service for her leadership throughout the reform process, while reminding stakeholders that implementation would determine the success of the initiative.
“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, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, disclosed that the previous concession expired in June 2023, making it necessary to develop a more transparent and sustainable framework to address operational challenges.
She identified uneven screening capacity, inconsistent diagnostic equipment, discordant test results, weak traceability and inadequate quality assurance as some of the issues the new agreement seeks to resolve.
Osikomaiya explained that the revised concession has expanded from a 15-page document into a detailed 97-page performance-based framework with stronger legal, financial and operational safeguards.
She further revealed that the procurement process commenced in November 2024, with nine firms expressing interest before a competitive evaluation process produced five successful concessionaires.
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 transparency, quality assurance and accountability throughout the five-year concession period.
Speaking on behalf of the concessionaires, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banner Diagnostics, Adetunji Kolawole-Moradeyo, commended the State Government for sustaining a blood screening programme that began more than two decades ago.
While applauding the transformation of screening centres across Lagos, he appealed for additional operational space to facilitate the deployment of modern diagnostic equipment required under the new agreement.
Also speaking, the General Manager of Roche Products Ltd, Roberto Taboada, assured the government of the company’s unwavering commitment to the success of the initiative.
He said Roche’s established presence in Nigeria, supported by engineering personnel, warehousing facilities and logistics infrastructure, would guarantee uninterrupted equipment maintenance, reagent supply and technical support for the blood screening programme.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for their dedication throughout 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 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 the State Government’s commitment to strengthening blood safety through effective public-private collaboration.
