Auwal Isah, Muhammad Ali (Katsina Times)
The Nigerian branch of the International Red Cross Society in Katsina State joined over 100 countries around the world to commemorate this year’s World First Aid Day with an awareness campaign across the state capital.
Members of the Red Cross staged a symbolic walk across Katsina metropolis, starting from Kofar Kaura to Kofar Marusa roundabout, carrying banners that highlighted the theme of the day. They also distributed informative leaflets and materials to raise public awareness about the significance of first aid.
Speaking during the event, the Katsina State Secretary of the Red Cross, Bala Abdullahi Husaini, explained that the campaign was part of a global effort to show empathy and solidarity with victims of emergencies and disasters around the world.
He noted that the event in Katsina began earlier in the week, on Thursday, with a humanitarian outreach to orphanages, where the organisation donated food items and other essential supplies. He further revealed plans to visit schools within the week to educate students on basic first aid skills.
Highlighting some of the organisation’s recent achievements in Katsina, Mr. Husaini disclosed that in the past two years, the Red Cross donated over N124 million in direct assistance to victims of armed banditry in the local government areas of Kurfi, Katsina, and Jibia.
Other milestones include increasing public acceptance and trust, sustained awareness campaigns on diseases such as cholera, and emergency response to incidents of floods and fire outbreaks. The organisation also supported health facilities during industrial strikes and festive seasons, cleared blocked roads during emergencies, and offered training on first aid and disaster response to civilians and security personnel alike.
Despite these successes, Mr. Husaini lamented several challenges, including the lack of a permanent operational base and limited access to specialised vehicles for emergency missions in remote areas.
He commended the Katsina State Government for its continued support, especially in covering the rent of the premises used by the organisation. “Even though the Red Cross is non-political and non-religious, the state government has always supported our activities whenever we reach out,” he said.
World First Aid Day, observed every 8th of May, is celebrated in more than 100 countries to raise awareness of humanitarian services provided by the Red Cross and to honour the birth of its founder, Henry Dunant.
The Red Cross was established in 1859 following the initiative of Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, who witnessed the horrors of the Battle of Solferino in Italy and proposed a neutral humanitarian organisation to care for war victims. His account, A Memory of Solferino, inspired the formation of what is now a global humanitarian network.
Nigeria officially recognised the Red Cross Society in 1960, supporting its mission of emergency response, healthcare promotion, infrastructure support, and spreading the values of humanity across the country.
