The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is ready to offer support required by the National Blood Service Commission (NBSC) to achieve its mandate of regulating, coordinating, and ensuring “the provision of safe, quality blood and blood products” to persons who may need such in Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Director, Public Affairs Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director, Human Capital and Administration Usman Malah, made the commitment when he received the NBSC delegation on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta led by Director General of the NBSC, Dr. Omale Amedu to the NCC on a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Amedu said the visit was to share information with NCC about the mandate of NBSC, established under the National Blood Service Commission Act of 2021, to reduce prevalence of diseases transmitted through blood, enhance public awareness of blood safety and voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.
He said it is also to mobilise committed team of voluntary blood donors, thereby building a national strategic safe blood reserve.
The Chief Executive of NBSC also said that while 14 June had long been designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as Blood Donor Day, Nigeria has additionally declared December 8 to show commitment to building sufficient blood reserve, considering the significance of blood to human survival and the centrality of blood and blood products among resources used in the production of cancer management drugs.
The NBSC CEO emphasised that NBSC considered NCC as a leading MDA in Nigeria, hence the decision to visit NCC as part of NBSC’s sensitisation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders to the need for regular blood donation.
Dr. Amedu commended NCC for its strides in ensuring improved connectivity and remarkable contribution to the digital economy agenda of government and to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The DHCA thanked Amedu and his team for the visit, the kind words on the strides of the NCC, and NBSC’s collaborative spirit which he noted aligned substantially with a strategic objective focus of NCC that speaks to partnership and collaboration with stakeholders.
Malah said the staff of the NCC are public-spirited, and many would be willing to donate blood voluntarily. He also promised that recommendations would be made to Management on the need to institute a special in-house sensitization programme to further explore how to deepen support for the NBSC to enable it to achieve its mandate.
On the request hitherto made by NBSC to NCC to explore the use of telecom platforms to disseminate information about activities of NBSC, the DHCA said there are rules governing the telecom sector and Commission would not want to breach such extant rules, policies, and directions.
Malah recommended that NBSC reach out to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to agree on how the networks can be used to support the accomplishment of its mandate, which he described as laudable and central to human existence and sustenance.
Lateefah Ibrahim
