Black market blood worsens Nigeria’s shortage — NBSC

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The National Blood Service Commission, South-West Zonal Director, Dr Oladapo Aworanti, has warned that Nigeria will continue to record avoidable deaths unless the government and citizens urgently confront the religious, cultural, and systemic failures undermining the nation’s blood supply.

He gave this warning during the unveiling of a book titled ‘Red Gold,’ held at the NBSC South-West Zonal Office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

Aworanti revealed that systemic sabotage and profiteering are undermining Federal interventions.

The director revealed that some individuals remove subsidised blood from government facilities only to resell it at up to N50,000 per unit in private hospitals.

He said, “Government invests heavily to make safe blood available, but some people exploit the system. They take units out of our facilities and sell them. This defeats the purpose of public subsidy.”

Aworanti added that some personnel in blood banks collaborate with private hospitals to create scarcity and demand for higher prices.

The director stressed that no amount of technological advancement in blood banks would make a difference without enough voluntary donors.

He noted that the Ibadan centre recently received a new state-of-the-art testing machine — one of only three in the country — but its impact will be limited if citizens remain reluctant.

“If you go to some places of worship, they do not allow discussions about blood donation. People listen to their priests and imams. Their support is critical. Schools can only reach a fraction, but religious houses reach millions,” he explained.

In his address, the author of Red Gold, Mr Sijibomi Oladeji, said the project began as a personal response to years of witnessing avoidable deaths caused by shortages of safe blood in Nigerian hospitals.

“People don’t know blood is life until they are in the hospital and can’t find it. Blood is our red gold. Just like actual gold, it is precious, scarce, and must be refined before it can save anyone,” Oladeji said.

He revealed that Nigeria requires 1.8 million units of blood annually, yet voluntary donations remain far below national needs, warning that the shortage fuels Nigeria’s staggering maternal mortality rate and leaves emergency wards constantly battling avoidable deaths.

“The real challenge is not availability but lack of sensitisation, worsened by misinformation rooted in cultural myths, religious prohibitions, and fear.

“Many people refuse to donate because of myths; some religious sects openly preach against donation; others still believe giving blood weakens the body. These mindsets are killing us,” he lamented.

Oladeji, therefore, urged the Nigerian government to move beyond its once-a-year focus on June 14, World Blood Donor Day, and adopt a 24/7 national sensitisation strategy that treats blood donation as a civic duty.

The author commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the NBSC’s Director-General, and the new national task force on blood regulation, adding that hospitals must cooperate more fully and citizens must step up.

The event brought together public health professionals, advocates, donors, and citizens for a reflection on the country’s failing blood donation culture.

The programme, hosted by the Red Gold Project Team in partnership with the Commission, featured a panel discussion, book reading, and an on-site blood donation exercise.

Nigeria requires an estimated 1.8 million units of blood every year, according to figures repeatedly cited by the NBSC and health authorities. However, the country consistently falls far short of this target, with voluntary, unpaid donations making up only a small fraction of the national supply.

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