Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, have sponsored the compulsory medical screening for the state’s intending pilgrims embarking on the holy pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year.
The State Commissioner for Home Affairs, who is also the Amir-ul-Hajj, Hon. Ibrahim Layode, disclosed this during the flag-off of the medical exercise at the Badagry Local Government Secretariat, Ajarah. He noted that the gesture was in fulfillment of the Governor’s directive that every pilgrim traveling for the spiritual and physically demanding exercise from the state must be certified medically fit.
The commissioner stated that the state government places a premium on the well-being of the pilgrims, stressing that the decision to cover the cost of the screening was aimed at relieving them of the financial burden after paying the substantial Hajj fare of ₦8,784,085.59, despite the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.
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“Mr. Governor and his deputy are deeply concerned about the economic hardship in the country and decided to foot the bill for the screening to alleviate the financial burden on the intending pilgrims. The screening cost ₦50,000.00 last year. Ten designated screening sites and health facilities have been established across the state, underscoring the seriousness the present administration attaches to the issue,” he said.
Layode added that the results, which will be released after blood and urine samples are collected, will confirm the intending pilgrims’ true health status and help determine how best to manage their care during their stay in the Holy Land.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Medical Screening Exercise, Dr. Mazeedat Erinosho, said the intending pilgrims are to undergo tests for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C, Tuberculosis (TB), urinalysis, pregnancy (for women), full blood count (FBC), and Electrolyte and Urea plus Creatinine (E&U + Cr) to assess kidney function.
She added that new tests such as TB and E&U + Cr were introduced to ensure the pilgrims benefit from knowing their health status and to guarantee they are medically sound before embarking on the spiritual journey, in line with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s directive.
On his part, the Board Secretary, Mr. AbdulHakeem Ajomagberin, urged all intending pilgrims to take full advantage of the free medical screening exercise, describing the initiative provided by the governor and his deputy as unprecedented.
No fewer than 1,400 intending pilgrims are expected to perform the 2025 Hajj rites from Lagos State.
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