No fewer than 250 residents of Agege and its environs have benefitted from a free medical outreach organised yesterday by Eko Club International, in collaboration with the Anwar-Ul Islam College, Agege Old Students’ Association (ACAOSA).
The outreach, held on the school premises, offered a range of free medical services, from dental care and eye screening to general health checks, free medications, mental health education, and more.
The event, which saw both local and international volunteer healthcare professionals in attendance, is part of Eko Club’s long-running commitment to improving access to quality healthcare in underserved Lagos communities.
The President of Eko Club International, Chief Saheed Olushi said, “Our mission is simple, give back to our people. This outreach today is a part of our quarterly Lagos Community Outreach project. We started this because we noticed there was a gap in care during the two years between our major medical missions.”
Eko Club International, founded in 2000 by a group of Lagos indigenes in the diaspora, has been conducting medical missions since 2007.
According to Chief Olushi, these missions have grown over time to become a robust system of healthcare delivery to the grassroots.
“When I became president four years ago, I realised we needed to do more than just the biannual missions. So we started organising quarterly outreaches like this one,” he explained. “We bring in professionals from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., as well as local healthcare workers, to reach people who might not otherwise access care.”
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Chief Olushi noted that the outreach was not only about treatment but also education. “Some people don’t necessarily need drugs; they just need to understand how to take care of their bodies, exercise, diet, mental wellness. We take the time to teach them.”
The choice of Anwar-Ul Islam College, Agege, as the outreach venue is not accidental. According to Chief Olushi, Eko Club’s relationship with ACAOSA began in 2020 through a scholarship initiative.
“When we launched our scholarship program, a large number of applicants came from this school, and the majority of the selected awardees were from here,” he said. “We saw how hardworking and forward-thinking the ACAOSA alumni are, and since then, we’ve partnered with them on several initiatives, including a laptop donation project.”
Chief Olushi also highlighted the club’s broader medical mission achievements. “During our last major outreach in November, we performed 29 paediatric limb correction surgeries for children with deformed limbs. We also conduct other types of surgeries when the need arises,” he said.
However, for more complex medical needs discovered during the outreach, the club either offers financial support or refers patients to public hospitals. “It depends on the case and the available resources,” he noted.
On the long-term impact, Chief Olushi described the feedback as overwhelmingly positive. “Each time we go to a new community, the people beg us to return. Even the Lagos State Government has collaborated with us on some of our bigger missions. That tells us that we are making a difference.”
He also elaborated on how communities are selected for the outreach. “We typically put out a call for interest and assess communities based on need and logistics. We don’t just show up randomly; we need the host community to be actively involved to ensure success.”
As the outreach wound down, volunteers continued attending to the growing number of residents arriving for assistance. “We planned for about 250 people today, and the turnout is strong,” Chief Olushi said. “Our goal is to leave each community a little healthier than we found it.”
With 25 years under its belt, Eko Club International remains committed to giving back to its roots, one community at a time. “This is just the beginning,” Chief Olushi affirmed. “We’re not stopping anytime soon.”
Speaking on the initiative, the President-General of ACAOSA Worldwide, Dr. Abdulfata Agboola Afolabi, said the partnership with Eko Club International was a natural progression of their existing relationship.
“Eko Club has been donating medical supplies to our school clinic over the years,” he said. “When they informed us about this quarter’s medical outreach, we decided we didn’t want to remain just beneficiaries. We offered to partner with them, and they gladly accepted.”
According to Dr. Afolabi, ACAOSA provided the venue and logistical support for the event, helping to accommodate the influx of medical personnel and patients from the surrounding community. “We planned for about 250 participants,” he noted.
He emphasized that this marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the two bodies. “We’ve used this event to test the waters, and we are impressed with the outcome. We hope Eko Club is as well, and we look forward to more joint programs in the future,” he added.
Dr. Afolabi also highlighted ACAOSA’s ongoing contributions to the development of the college. “This very hall we are in is undergoing remodeling by our association. We’ve installed air conditioners, repainted the space, and we’re not stopping there. We’re also upgrading teaching and medical facilities to enhance the overall quality of education and well-being of our students.”
One of the volunteer nurses said that the services provided were comprehensive. “We offer everything from blood pressure and sugar level checks to dental care and vision screening. We also provide free prescription medications, health counselling, and even mosquito nets for malaria prevention.”
Among the beneficiaries was 67-year-old Mrs. Adebimpe Yusuf, who received a free pair of eyeglasses after her vision test. “I’ve been having trouble seeing for years, but I couldn’t afford new glasses. Today, they tested my eyes and gave me frames for free. I feel so blessed,” she said, smiling.
