Vanguard’s Health Outreach sparks joy, relief among newspaper vendors in Lagos
yarkarkara
By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna & Olasukanmi Akoni
With gratitude in his voice and medicine in hand, Shomoni Fatai, General Secretary of the Newspapers and Magazines Distributors Association of Nigeria, NDAN, Ikeja Zona, Lagos, struggled to contain his emotions. “This is the first time something like this is happening in our industry,” he said, visibly moved. “To God be the glory.”
Read Also: Vanguard’s health outreach revives hope for newspaper vendors
Fatai was one of over 300 newspaper vendors, agents, and residents who benefitted from a free health outreach organised by Vanguard Media Limited in Lagos. The programme, which is the 3rd in its series offered eye screenings, blood pressure checks, HIV tests, Hepatitis screening and medication, drew participants from across five zones — including Ojota, Maryland, Iyana Ipaja, Ketu, and Egbeda all in Lagos.
While the outreach initially aimed to serve 150 people, the turnout far exceeded expectations. “We’ve attended to more than 190 people as we speak alone — and that includes artisans and passers-by who weren’t even part of our initial list,” said the Technical Consultant to Vanguard Media Limited, Mr Patrick Oduone.
The medical outreach, described by vendors as “unprecedented,” highlights the often-overlooked health needs of informal workers in the newspaper distribution chain — many of whom operate under harsh physical and economic conditions, with little or no access to basic healthcare.
“We are over 500 in this association,” Fatai noted. “Some couldn’t attend today, but you can see the turnout. People are here not just for themselves, but for their families. This programme has helped us know our medical status. It has saved lives.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before”, Oseni Ahmed, a vendor from Ojota, echoed the sentiment. “If every media house can do this kind of thing for those who help sell their newspapers, it will go a long way. Today, they carried medical tests on us, gave us drugs, and even counselled us. I’m very satisfied.”
The health screenings uncovered a major concern: vision problems.
Oduone explained that demand for eye care far outpaced other services. “As of now, we’ve identified almost 70 people needing prescription glasses — way above the 40 we saw at our last event. People can’t afford basic eye care. It’s an expensive necessity they’re forced to ignore.”
He said Vanguard is now planning to partner with the Association of Optometrists to expand the eye-screening programme. “We’re considering a separate, specialised eye clinic day because clearly, the need is overwhelming,” Oduone added.
“Local government authorities should take a cue from this,” Oduone said. “They’re closer to the people. If they initiate something like this monthly or quarterly using their federal allocations, it would change lives.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr Jimmy Badmus, who is also the Treasurer of the Ikeja Zonal Office described the initiative as a lifeline. “I’m a hustler. I’m both a vendor and an agent. We don’t earn much. So, to be given drugs and medical checks for free — that means a lot,” he said.
A call for others to follow suit
Attendees praised Vanguard for not only providing care but doing so in an orderly and inclusive manner. “Even people who weren’t vendors were welcomed,” said Badmus. “They didn’t discriminate.”
Beyond the individual impact, many participants saw the outreach as a model for community engagement, calling on other media houses and even local governments to replicate the initiative.
Fatai agreed, urging other organisations to “follow this example and prioritise the well-being of those who support them from the grassroots.”
Gratitude and hope
The event, though successful, wasn’t without challenges. Organisers said it started late in the year due to logistical constraints, but there are now plans to make it a twice-yearly programme and merge additional zones in future editions.
As the crowd dispersed, many clutched their prescriptions and test results with a renewed sense of dignity — proof that sometimes, a small act of care can have a far-reaching effect.
“We thank Vanguard,” Fatai said. “This is not just about medicine — this is about humanity.”
Giving a Health talk on “Stress management, Hypertension, Diabetes and Prostrate Diseases”, , a Director at the Lagos State Health Service Commission Dr. Adebayo Mosunmola, warned Nigerians to pay closer attention to the dangers of unmanaged stress, saying it is a silent trigger for life-threatening conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and prostate diseases.
Adebayo described stress as “a psychological pain and a state of worry or mental tension” that affects all systems of the body, even though it has no direct causative organism.
According to her, stress manifests through symptoms such as sleeping disturbance, fatigue, emotional swings, prolonged headaches, and in severe cases, mental breakdown.
“Stress comes in different forms — acute, episodic, and chronic. If left unchecked, it can fuel unhealthy habits like alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, and poor sleep, which in turn raise the risk of hypertension and diabetes,” he explained.
On managing stress, Adebayo recommended practical strategies including exercise, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, journaling, and time management.
She also stressed the importance of sleep hygiene, healthy eating, social support, and setting boundaries between work and rest.
Turning to hypertension, she warned that uncontrolled high blood pressure remains one of the most common complications linked to poor stress management, especially when combined with alcohol use and indiscriminate consumption of prescription or herbal medicines.
On prostate diseases, which affect men as they age, Adebayo urged yearly medical checks, especially during one’s birth month, through partnerships with general hospitals or under health insurance schemes like the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), or Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA).
She further highlighted diabetes as another rising concern, describing it as a condition marked by insulin resistance, deficiency or insensitivity. Signs such as poor wound healing, weight fluctuations, erectile dysfunction, vision problems, skin tags and frequent night urination should not be ignored, she cautioned.
Adebayo called on Nigerians to prioritise self-care: “Your health is your wealth. Managing stress, eating right, and going for regular check-ups are simple but powerful steps to avoid bigger problems later in life.”
Speaking, the Chairman Ikeja Local Government, comrade Akeem Olalekan Dauda, popularly called, AKOD, commended Vanguard Media Limited for the medical outreach, describing it as “laudable, worthy of emulation.”
AKOD while addressing participants, said: “This is a wonderful and laudable Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR programme, worthy of emulation.
“I believe it will go a long way in assisting the beneficiaries in improving the state of their health.
“We at Ikeja council are looking towards having a symbiotic partnership with Vanguard in future on initiatives that will be of benefits to the masses”
“My administration believes in the philosophy that everyone is one. Good health should go round because health is wealth.”
“I use this opportunity to encourage other well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate this Vanguard’s effort and give back to society.”
Meanwhile, the Ikeja healthcare intervention which witnessed hundreds of participants provided a range of services, including: General health check-ups, specialist consultations, health awareness sessions, and prescription-based free medications.
The outreach provided free medical consultations for residents, with emphasis on lifestyle modification as a preventive tool.
The post Vanguard’s Health Outreach sparks joy, relief among newspaper vendors in Lagos appeared first on Vanguard News.
