As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response system, the Health Emergency Initiative, HEI has intensified its comprehensive First Responders Training Programme for secondary school students across Lagos State and Nigeria.
The training, which is being sponsored by the First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company, First E&P and in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, aims to equip young Nigerians with lifesaving skills to handle emergencies. It also forms part of HEI’s broader effort to build a nationwide network of community first responders capable of saving lives before professional medical help arrives.
According to Executive Director of the HEI, Mr. Pascal Achunine, the student training programme is part of HEI’s larger mission to build an emergency-ready nation.
“Today we’re training 30 secondary school students from Lagos’ education districts, but overall, we’ve trained more than 149,000 first responders across Nigeria,” Achunine revealed.
“Our beneficiaries include teachers, police officers, fire service personnel, commercial transporters, and even filling station attendants, those most likely to be first at an accident scene.”
He explained that HEI’s training covers various emergencies, from fractures and burns to cardiac arrests, poison, fire outbreaks, and flooding. The organization has worked in over 12 states, including Lagos, Rivers, Kwara, Ondo, Osun, Imo, and Abuja.
“We’re excited that the Lagos State Government has approved the integration of First Responder Training into the national curriculum,” Achunine added. “This means every student will have access to this lifesaving knowledge, because emergencies do not announce themselves.”
Also speaking at the training session, Head of Social Performance at First E&P, Ayebatonye Benjamin-Basuo explained that the programme is being supported under the company’s Impact First Grant Award, a funding initiative designed to empower local NGOs making measurable impact in Nigerian communities.
“We realized that many grassroots NGOs doing remarkable work in Nigeria often lack access to funds, especially as international funding streams are drying up,” Bassey said. “Through Impact First, we bridge that gap and support organizations like HEI to reach more people at the grassroots.
Training first responders is particularly invaluable given Nigeria’s high rate of road accidents, limited access to equipped health facilities, and traffic constraints that often delay emergency services.”
She noted that HEI’s scope of work extends beyond first aid training, covering emergency funding for accident victims, rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, and community health sensitization.
Representing the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Aramide Shitta-Bay, who is Head of the NGO Unit, commended the initiative as a lifelong learning tool that goes beyond academic instruction.
“Emergencies don’t only happen in schools, they happen at home, in markets, and in communities,” she said. “By integrating this training into the school curriculum and establishing First Responder Clubs in secondary schools, we are raising a generation of safety-conscious young Nigerians.”
She emphasized the ministry’s commitment to sustaining the initiative beyond the current administration, noting that it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs on health, education, and safety.
Also lending his support, Executive Secretary of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Olufemi Akinbade lauded the programme’s grassroots approach to emergency management.
“There’s a dire need to train more Nigerians on how to respond during emergencies,” Akinbade stated. “We are glad to see this initiative starting from the cradle level. Too often, people record emergencies on their phones instead of offering help. This programme is changing that culture by equipping students and citizens with practical skills.”
He also called for stronger government collaboration with private healthcare providers in emergency response and reimbursement for emergency services rendered by private facilities.