A Local Organization (LO) of the world’s foremost enterprising youths leadership organization, Junior Chamber International (JCI); JCI Lagos City, with its Banjo/Agaptus Safety Seminar (BASS) initiative, collaborated with key stakeholders to train 50 youths on emergency response in Lagos.

The partners included the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) and Cardinal Academy of Emergency Care Ltd while the participating youths cut across JCI members and non-members.

The BASS initiative was organized as part of efforts to commemorate the 11th year anniversary of the demise of key leaders of the organization in Nigeria, 2013 JCI Nigeria President, Banjo Okunuga and Executive Vice President, Agaptus Nnadiekwe while also creating more awareness on safety issues in Nigeria. The duo died in a ghastly accident in the course of service to the organization.

Speaking on the essence of the seminar, 2024 President of JCI Lagos City, JCIN Amb. Adeola Alfred noted that the training was needed to help young people cultivate the habit of imbibing a safety culture.

“This training is an opportunity to help youths to unlearn wrong attitudes towards safety and relearn first aid skills to help others in the case of emergencies”, the president noted.

The FRSC representative, The Youth Safety Education Office Jesutomipe Mala, who leads action on youths awareness at the Commission in Lagos, shared insights with the participants on Defensive Driving as part of the preventive efforts against accidents and incidents on the road.

With a role play scenario, she demonstrated the importance of patience, selflessness and observance of speed rules on the road.

“It is important for all road users to observe speed limits because speed thrills but kills” she advised.

On his part, Director of Training and Human Capacity Development at LASTMA, Akinpelu Ayuba who represented the General Manager, LASTMA, Bakare Oki Olalekan spoke extensively on the duty of care of all road users and important safety tips to uphold on the road.

“It is important for us, at the LASTMA, to always share these road safety tips and guidance with all road users as part of efforts to avoid emergency situations on Lagos roads” he noted.

The key facilitator at the seminar, Managing Director and Training Center Co-coordinator of a leading emergency training institute, Cardinal Academy of Emergency Care Ltd, Dr. Busuyi Alabi noted that that there are now encouraging statistics as well as improving awareness on the importance and need for emergency response across the country especially in Lagos.

“The encouraging statistics on emergency response in particular is that the number of AEDs is on the rise, the demand for AEDs procurement or purchase that my organization has processed has witnessed unprecedented increase in recent time compared to 10 years ago that when we mentioned it they don’t really know what it means,” Dr. Alabi noted.

Dr. Alabi’s training session covered courses on First Aid, CPR, AED, and Basic Life Support (BLS).

The training was free for all participants and they received free portable safety kits after the seminar.