NaijAidUK marks 10th anniversary with Lagos emergency response training

NaijAidUK, a UK-registered charity that operates in Nigeria through its partner HealthAid Charity, has completed a four-day training programme in Lagos. The initiative, which ran from October 27 to 30, 2026, was organised to mark the organisation’s 10th anniversary. The programme targeted healthcare professionals, students, and members of the public, focusing on first aid, emergency response, and mental health awareness. The main goal was to give attendees hands-on abilities to identify crises, offer urgent aid, and assist people facing psychological difficulties until expert assistance arrived.

Background

The training initiative is part of NaijAidUK’s broader strategy to address gaps in Nigeria’s emergency preparedness. The organisation aims to extend life-saving knowledge beyond the confines of hospitals and healthcare facilities into local communities. According to Dr Lanre Nehan-Babalola, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Founding Trustee of NaijAidUK, the group is implementing an instructor-training strategy to broaden the reach of these essential competencies. She explained that the goal is to empower participants to share their knowledge with family members, schools, and wider communities, operating on the principle that training one person can save many lives. Nehan-Babalola emphasised that emergency response should be viewed as a shared responsibility and highlighted the importance of recognising mental health challenges and seeking appropriate professional support.

The four-day curriculum was structured to address different groups and needs. The program started with an Immediate Life Support class tailored for medical professionals, such as physicians, nurses, midwives, and community health staff. This was followed by a Mental Health Awareness Day targeting students and the general public. The programme concluded with two days of general first emergency response training. Officials from state health bodies attended and supported the event. Omowunmi Folashade Ekong, the Director of Nursing at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, commended the organisation for the mental health component, describing it as a timely intervention. She noted that the training helped participants identify stressors and early signs of mental health issues, enabling them to provide support and refer affected individuals for professional care. Dr Festus Adetonwa, Director of Ogun State Ambulance and Emergency Services, who represented the state Commissioner for Health, also attended. He explained that the project focused on two vital sectors needing more focus within healthcare: mental well-being and emergency first response. Adetonwa highlighted the importance of the first few minutes following an accident, collapse, or medical emergency in determining outcomes.

Why it matters

The programme addresses a significant gap in Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure by moving emergency skills training into the community. By training a diverse group of participants, including non-clinical members of the public, the initiative aims to create a wider safety net for emergencies. The involvement of state health officials from both Lagos and Ogun states underscores the perceived value of such community-based interventions. The focus on mental health is particularly relevant as it equips bystanders with the ability to recognise early signs of distress and facilitate referrals, potentially preventing crises from escalating. The train-the-trainer model is designed to create a multiplier effect, where each trained individual can pass on skills to others, thereby expanding the reach of emergency preparedness without requiring a proportional increase in direct training resources. This approach is intended to make emergency response a shared societal responsibility rather than solely a duty of professional medical staff.