17/06/2026
*Rolling Up Our Sleeves for a Healthier Kaduna*
Fitness Walk & Blood Donation in Commemoration of the 2026 World Blood Donor Day Celebration
On Monday, June 15th, 2026, Kaduna’s streets transformed. What began as a road walk became a statement. Under the rallying cry “A drop of humanity. Give blood. Save lives,” hundreds moved as one river of hope to push regular, voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation from awareness to action.
By mid-morning, Kaduna pulsed with purpose. Labcrest Laboratory, Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, The Nigerian Red Cross Society, the AMLSN KASU Chapter, and KASU medical students and staff of the NBSA alongside Voluntary Blood Donors marched shoulder-to-shoulder. Banners rose, chants echoed, and the message was simple: one pint of blood can save three lives. The city listened.
At the end of the walk, the program opened with a weighty address from Dr. Peter Maiyaki, Acting Zonal Director of the National Blood Service Agency, Kaduna. His words anchored the day in urgency and hope. Momentum surged as Dr. Babajide Caleb Oluwarohumbi’s keynote address ignited passion in the crowd. Barrister Samira Balarabe, Registrar of KASU, followed with a challenge that reframed donation: "not charity, but civic duty."
The goodwill was undeniable. Leaders stepped forward to lend weight to the course: Benjamin Locyn Turman, Chairman of AMLSN Kaduna; Mr. Olufemi Olukoya, Head of Diagnostics, NNPC; Prof. Abdulqadir Musa Tabari, CMD of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital; Pharmacist Aliyu of Fidson Pharmaceuticals; and Aminu Muhammad Aliyu, Branch Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Kaduna. Their unified message was clear saving lives cannot be left to hospitals alone.
But speeches only start the story. The real measure of the day came after, at the donation beds. Students shed exam nerves. Medical practitioners shed their white coats for sleeves rolled high. Professionals stood beside first time donors. Needles went in, bags filled, and with each drop, Kaduna grew safer.
Every donor proved the same truth: heroism isn’t loud. Sometimes it’s just an arm outstretched and a heart willing.
World Blood Donor Day 2026 in Kaduna was more than an event. It was a reminder that our health system is only as strong as our willingness to give.
The appeal remains: Don’t wait for emergencies. Donate regularly.
When you give blood, you save a life. When you save a life, you become a hero in someone’s story.
Together, let us keep Kaduna’s heart beating strong.
Compiled by: Press/Media Unit
National Blood Service Agency, Kaduna Zonal Centre
