By Uloma Peace Okorie
Since his appointment as the Director-General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Professor Saleh Yuguda has brought a new wave of energy and commitment to the nation’s blood management system. His proactive approach has ensured that the agency has not experienced shortages of safe blood, a development that many Nigerians have described as a remarkable turnaround.
One of his landmark achievements is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). The agreement is designed to extend the agency’s services to local government areas across the country. This move will make safe blood more accessible to rural communities, sparing patients—especially women and children in need of urgent transfusions—the difficulty of traveling long distances to urban centers.
Observers note that Prof. Yuguda’s hands-on leadership style and strategic partnerships are already yielding results. By decentralizing blood services, he is not only strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system but also saving countless lives in underserved communities.
Stakeholders in the health sector have hailed his resilience and vision, noting that his tenure is steadily aligning the agency with international best practices in blood safety and distribution.