By Isaac Olufemi Ojo
IBADAN – To mark a quarter-century of public health impact in Nigeria, APIN Public Health Initiatives has launched its “25 Acts of Service” campaign with a targeted nutrition empowerment program for women in Oyo State.
The outreach, designed to address nutritional gaps caused by current economic challenges, serves as the first in a series of community-focused events celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Speaking at the event, the APIN Head of Office for Oyo State, Dr. Folake Adurogbola, stated that the initiative aims to equip women with practical knowledge and resources to sustain healthy diets for their families amid rising food costs.
“We are here to empower our women with targeted nutrition outreach,” Dr. Adurogbola said. “We all know what the economy is saying, and people are not able to eat well-balanced diets. We are teaching them how to get more nutrition from what they eat and supplying them with materials to prepare these meals at home for themselves and their children.”
Reflecting on the organization’s 25-year journey, Dr. Adurogbola highlighted APIN’s evolution from an HIV-focused entity to a comprehensive public health powerhouse.
She noted that the organization has left significant “footprints” across Nigeria, particularly in strengthening laboratory services and equipment in major teaching hospitals through support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“There is nowhere you step into Nigeria today that you will not see the footprints of APIN,” she said. “While we were known for HIV, we now handle any disease of public health importance, including malaria, newborn management, and cancers—especially cervical cancer.”
Addressing concerns regarding recent shifts in international funding and the sustainability of non-governmental organizations in Nigeria, Dr. Adurogbola expressed confidence in APIN’s longevity.
“APIN is not just a baby organization that will collapse because there is no funding,” she asserted. “If the funding stops today, APIN remains. We have been working on the sustainability of the organization itself. We are here to stay and will continue to deliver services to our people.”
Meanwhile, the prevention lead /Gender lead for APIN Public Health Initiatives Nigeria, Mrs Bola Thompson, noted that today’s event was in collaboration with the 70 NGOs selected across the state to serve as trainers to amplify the nutrition message across the state.
However, she noted that in celebration of the 25th anniversary of APIN Health Initiative, the not-for-profit organisation has highlighted 25 special acts of service in celebrating the achievement and reinforcing its commitment to community health and national development.
However, she noted the Oyo State office of APIN will be implementing three, of which the health and nutrition training was held today.
“We are going to be implementing 25 programs for this event so Oyo State alone may not carry them out. So from Oyo, we are focusing on these three programs so we are having hangouts with the children, and which is the next one, and after that we will also be visiting some homes in Oyo State, homes of the physically challenged children, and also motherless homes.”
A beneficiary of the training, CEO Life Builders Foundation, Chief Dr. Mrs. Grace Olywatoyin congratulated APIN for the impactful milestone being celebrated.
She also lauded APIN for the business opportunity given to the women present, adding that if scaled up would change the nutrition narrative in individual households and the community at large.
