In a groundbreaking move to empower secondary school students with vital first aid and prehospital care skills, the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) has secured a five-year approval from the Lagos State Ministry of Education to provide emergency response training in schools.
This life-saving initiative aims to equip young people with essential skills to respond effectively to medical emergencies, fostering a generation of informed, proactive citizens. By integrating first responder training into the school curriculum, HEI is ensuring that students can act swiftly in critical situations, reducing preventable deaths and improving community safety.
A Major Step Toward a Safer Society
The Lagos State Ministry of Education’s approval follows a highly successful one-year pilot program, which demonstrated the transformative impact of emergency preparedness training in schools. With this approval, HEI will:
✅ Incorporate emergency response training into the curriculum of secondary schools across Lagos State.
✅ Establish First Responders Clubs in schools, ensuring long-term knowledge retention.
✅ Train teachers and students to act as first responders in medical emergencies.
✅ Promote advocacy and awareness through debates, quizzes, and essay competitions on emergency preparedness.
A Vision for a More Prepared Generation
Speaking on this achievement, Paschal Achunine, Executive Director of HEI, described it as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s emergency response system.
“This approval is a game-changer in our efforts to ensure that no life is lost due to a lack of immediate response during emergencies. By equipping secondary school students with essential first aid and prehospital care skills, we are not only saving lives but also creating a generation of informed and proactive citizens.”To amplify the impact of this initiative, each trained participant is expected to extend their learning by training 50 additional people within 60 days, significantly expanding emergency preparedness in schools and communities.
Collaboration for a Stronger Healthcare System
HEI remains steadfast in its mission that “None should die”, leading efforts to bridge critical gaps in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare system. Achunine expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government, stakeholders, medical professionals, and partners for their unwavering collaboration in ensuring the resilience of the healthcare sector.
“Our vision is to embed a culture of first response readiness in Nigeria. By integrating these skills into the school curriculum and engaging students through competitions, we are creating a sustainable model for emergency response education in the country.”HEI’s commitment to saving lives and strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare landscape remains unwavering, as the organisation continues to drive innovative programs and strategic alliances to build a robust emergency response framework across Nigeria.
