A UK-registered charity, NaijAidUK, has organised a four-day training session in Lagos to teach medical staff, students, and residents crucial first aid, emergency response, and mental health skills. The programme, which ran from October 27 to 30, 2026, was put together to celebrate the organisation’s 10th anniversary.
Operating locally through HealthAid Charity, the group hopes to close critical gaps in the country's emergency preparedness by moving practical healthcare skills straight into everyday communities, according to Punch. The workshop started with an Immediate Life Support course tailored for doctors, nurses, midwives, and community health personnel, followed by a mental health awareness session and two days of general emergency response training.
Dr Lanre Nehan-Babalola, Chief Executive Officer and Founding Trustee of NaijAidUK, explained that the group adopted a train-the-trainer strategy so participants could teach others. She stressed that handling emergencies is a shared duty and that spotting mental health struggles early remains vital.
Lagos State Ministry of Health Director of Nursing, Omowunmi Folashade Ekong, praised the project as a timely effort that helps people identify emotional stressors and make proper medical referrals. Similarly, Dr Festus Adetonwa, who leads the Ogun State Ambulance and Emergency Services and represented the state's Commissioner for Health, noted that what happens in the first moments of a medical crisis often decides whether someone survives before an ambulance arrives. He also urged the public to actively fight mental health stigma.
Founded in 2015, NaijAidUK revealed that it has trained over 3,000 health workers and 5,000 ordinary citizens across the past decade. Its courses feature UK-certified modules aligned with World Health Organisation standards and handled by UK-trained clinical professionals.
The charity also reaches marginalised groups through Project ACT, a programme that tailors first aid knowledge for individuals living with hearing and speech impairments. Alongside donating medical supplies and training professionals, the non-profit appealed for deeper partnerships with government agencies, schools, and private businesses to take life-saving education across Nigeria.
