Kwara State Chapter

The STNG Big Walk (Kwara State) took place at Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State under the banner of Save the Next Generation (STNG) as part of a national campaign for sickle cell awareness that will culminate in the 2026 sickle cell day celebration. The event was from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with more than 93 volunteers on the ground supporting the campaign.

With an agenda to sensitize, this campaign informed the public about sickle cell disease and related medical information including genotype testing, compatibility of genotypes, preventive health practices and the care of individuals living with sickle cell disease. Their outreach activities focused on the Oja Oba axis and most of all the communities of Emir's Road, Oja Oba Market and Ita-Ajia Market.

Members of the community were engaged in several ways like through face to face talk, mass rallies, handing educational pamphlets and flyers, and also through the symbolic awareness walk. Bilingual Yoruba and English presentations allowed people at large to better grasp the messages being delivered. Volunteers used placards, chanting, and speaking through microphones while strolling to deliver sickle cell awareness messages to pedestrians.

Participants at the event also included volunteers drawn from KWASU and UNILORIN as well as UITH, local campus ambassadors together with sickle cell carriers all of whom contributed to the campaign efforts.

At the level of a single community, this kind of event allows one-on-one and group communication to be possible. We estimated that 500 - 700 community members in the three marketplaces were able to hear about genotype testing and health decisions through the event. With increased awareness, more people will become geno-aware and make informed health choices.