Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening public-private collaboration, expanding emergency care networks and scaling up community training to save lives across the state.
Sanwo-Olu stated this on Friday at the 10th Anniversary and Award Ceremony of the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), a non-governmental organization that provides financial assistance for emergency medical treatment to indigent and vulnerable patients in public hospitals.
Represented by Dr Abimbola Mabogunje, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission, the governor said the state government was ready to deepen its partnership with HEI to extend life-saving interventions to more residents.
He noted that HEI’s decade-long operations had strengthened the state’s health system, boosted public trust in emergency response services and improved confidence in healthcare delivery.
“Here in Lagos State, we recognise HEI’s role as a vital partner in strengthening health security.
“During critical periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic, HEI provided protective equipment and relief materials to hospitals and frontline workers.
“It further demonstrated its impact by donating a N16 million KVA solar panel system to Massey Children’s Hospital, reinforcing its mission to ensure that no life is lost due to lack of timely medical intervention.
“Today, HEI stands as a model for compassion-driven healthcare. This 10th anniversary is also a turning point—moving from response to prevention, from emergency aid to system-wide resilience. Lagos State stands ready to walk this journey with you,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu commended HEI for redefining lifesaving collaboration in Lagos and across Nigeria.
Also speaking, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, described HEI as a beacon of hope that prevents avoidable deaths by ensuring vulnerable Nigerians receive timely emergency care. Ogunyemi, represented by Dr Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said HEI’s work aligns with the state’s vision for a resilient, inclusive and people-centred health system.
Dr Emmanuel Imafidon, Chairman, Board of Trustees of HEI, said the organisation had grown from a grassroots initiative into a national lifesaving network powered by collective action.
He said HEI had provided emergency financial assistance to more than 35,700 indigent and vulnerable patients in 16 states, helping to settle their hospital bills and save lives.
He added that HEI had trained over 147,500 first responders, partnered with 85 hospitals, and ensured accident victims were not rejected due to lack of funds.
According to him, the organisation assisted 56,870 accident and fire victims, achieving a 72 per cent survival rate through coordinated emergency response. HEI also supported 8,200 malnourished children, with half recovering within seven weeks.
Imafidon said rising healthcare costs, inflation, increasing road crash fatalities and severe childhood malnutrition pose major challenges to the NGO’s work.
“Rural communities still lack access to skilled first responders. These realities remind us that our work is far from finished,” he said.
Unveiling HEI’s five-year strategic vision, he said the organisation aims to expand its operations from 16 states to all 36 states and the FCT, increase partner hospitals from 85 to 1,000, train 750,000 additional first responders, and support 50,000 malnourished children through targeted medical care and nutrition programmes.
HEI’s Executive Director, Mr Paschal Achunine, warned that malnutrition is becoming an existential threat to children aged zero to five years in Nigeria.
To address this, he announced the creation of a N500 million Malnutrition Alleviation Fund to expand access to nutrition support, medical care and community-based education for vulnerable families.
“This initiative strengthens our existing work in financial aid, first responder training and emergency care for accident victims. It reflects our resolve to innovate, expand our reach, and build a future where survival is a right—not a privilege—for every Nigerian child,” he said.
Achunine thanked the Lagos State Government, partners, donors and volunteers for supporting HEI’s work over the past decade.
It was reported that HEI presented awards to individuals and organizations for their support, including the Lagos State Government, the U.S. Embassy, the News Agency of Nigeria and the Federal Road Safety Corps, among others.
