… Hundreds screened as community records alarming sugar levels
… Club urges stronger government action, routine checks in rural areas
The Lions Clubs International, took its 2025 World Diabetes Awareness Campaign to Kobape, Ogun State, on 21 November, offering free diabetes screening, drugs, and an awareness walk at the town hall.
The Abeokuta Axis, District 404B-3, outreach, organised by Regions 8 and 9, drew a large crowd of residents seeking diagnosis and treatment advice.
Senior figures of the district were present, including the President Abeokuta Diamond Lions Club, Lion Erubami Margaret Oluwatoyin.
Other personalities present at the even include, District Governor, Lion Adelaja; First Vice District Governor, LN Barrister Tosin Taiwo; Second Vice District Governor, LN Oyewunmi Ronke; former Region Chair, LN Abidemi Oloyede; Campaign Chairperson, LN Olasunmbo Olujimi; and Co-Chair, LN Gbenga Lipede.
‘We are here to bridge the healthcare gap’
Speaking at the event, First Vice District Governor, Lion Barrister Tosin Taiwo, said the campaign reflects the club’s long-standing mission to bring medical care to underserved communities.
“This is not the first of its kind. One of the core assignments of Lions Club is to ensure that we take medical outreach to places like this where they are not prone to medical facilities,” he said. He added that although government invests in healthcare, rural communities often struggle with access.
“I look around and I realise that I don’t think we have a major medical facility here. They have health centres but the number of people the health centre can account for is very small. That is why it’s a great deal for associations like ours to step in,” he said.
Taiwo noted that many residents were unaware of the risks associated with high blood sugar and high blood pressure, stressing that early detection could prevent severe complications. “Without health awareness, you won’t know what to attend to,” he said.
He said the club’s involvement is driven by members’ personal contributions, not government funding. “We contribute within ourselves. Those that have identified that the core course of living is to make impact in a person’s life — that is what we stand for.”
He highlighted the organisation’s broader work, including the establishment of eye clinics across Abeokuta and adjoining communities.
‘Kobape residents need more attention from government’
The campaign chairperson for Regions 8 and 9, Lion Olasunmbo Olujimi, said the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 500 residents signing up for screening.
“We came to create awareness and let them know we still love them and care for them. My advice to the government is that people in Kobape should not be forgotten. They should put things into consideration for them because not all non-governmental organisations can do this work,” she said.
According to her, the number of people with dangerously high sugar levels “in the range of 400 to 500” shows the depth of the health challenges in the area.
Residents welcome outreach, lament rising youth deaths
One of the beneficiaries, Alhaja Ajisegiri Modinat Oluwabukola, said the initiative was timely in a community where many deaths — especially among young people — are linked to untreated diabetes and high blood pressure.
“In Kobape, we experience death of the youths occasionally due to nonchalant behaviour towards high blood pressure and diabetes,” she said. She added that many residents rely on spiritual explanations rather than medical care.
She urged government to support regular free health checks. “Lack of money is one of the reasons why most people don’t go for checkups. Asking them to pay ₦1,500 to check their sugar level is too much,” she said, calling for monthly community health programmes.
‘Diabetes is a silent killer’
A medical volunteer at the outreach, Lion Dr Adekanmbi Bakare of Abeokuta Kora Lions Club, described diabetes as “a silent killer disease” that progresses unnoticed until complications arise.
He explained the three major types — Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes — and warned that lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol intake, and obesity increase risk.
He advised residents to watch for symptoms such as frequent urination, excessive hunger, tiredness, and weight loss. “If there are those signs and symptoms, they have to go to the hospital and do a routine checkup of their blood glucose,” he said.
Bakare said financial constraints keep many Nigerians away from healthcare facilities. “What scares most people away from the hospital is the financial aspect. They believe the money they have is to eat,” he said. He called for free health insurance, better funding of rural health centres, and modernised equipment.
The campaign ended with referrals for residents needing advanced care and renewed calls for government partnerships to sustain preventive health services in rural communities.
