Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited, SEEPCO, has intensified its corporate social responsibility efforts by promoting voluntary blood donation across Delta State, as the indigenous oil producer deepens its investment in healthcare and community development within its host communities.
The company, in partnership with the Vcare for Development Foundation, VCDF, the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, conducted a statewide blood donation campaign across the three senatorial districts of Asaba, Ughelli and Warri to improve blood availability in hospitals and encourage a sustainable culture of voluntary blood donation.
The initiative, which formed part of activities marking the 2026 World Blood Donor Day with the theme, “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives,” underscores the growing role of oil and gas companies in supporting public healthcare through strategic community investments.
The campaign builds on similar interventions by SEEPCO in other parts of the country, including Lagos State, where the company’s partnership with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, LSBTS, and the Nigerian Red Cross mobilised about 550 pints of blood within two days, significantly boosting blood bank reserves.
Speaking during the Delta campaign, stakeholders stressed that voluntary, regular and unpaid blood donation remains the most reliable way to guarantee adequate blood supplies for hospitals and save lives during emergencies, surgeries, childbirth and accident cases.
Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, commended the initiative, describing voluntary blood donation as critical to the state’s healthcare system.
“Voluntary blood donation is important for public health emergencies and to save lives during accidents and childbirth. We are deeply grateful to VCDF and partners for the commitment to promote voluntary blood donation and support life-saving healthcare initiatives,” he said.
The campaign also highlighted the remarkable growth recorded by VCDF’s annual blood donation programme, with donor numbers increasing from 98 in 2022 to 147 in 2023, 268 in 2024, and 341 in 2025, bringing cumulative donations to 1,404 donors before the Delta exercise. The achievement earned the organisation the Blood Donation Champion Award from the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service.
At the Central Hospital, Ughelli, the hospital’s Blood Transfusion Committee and management applauded SEEPCO, VCDF, the Delta State Ministry of Health and other partners for supporting healthcare delivery through improved blood availability.
Participants noted that the awareness campaign significantly improved public understanding of voluntary blood donation, with many first-time donors expressing willingness to become regular donors after learning about the safety, benefits and life-saving impact of blood donation.
Stakeholders called for sustained public education and stronger collaboration between government, healthcare institutions, development organisations and corporate bodies, stressing that every blood donation has the potential to save multiple lives while strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The campaign recorded strong participation across all three senatorial districts, reinforcing SEEPCO’s commitment to delivering impactful community-focused investments beyond its core oil and gas operations.
