How firms foster lifesaving emergency response skills among Nigerian students

Determined to expand access to lifesaving emergency response skills among young people, Verraki, an African business solutions company and Health Emergency Initiative have empowered over 50 students with Lifesaving First Aid Skills.

According to the organisations, the programme equipped participants with essential knowledge and skills in CPR awareness, bleeding control, choking response, burns management, and emergency preparedness

The initiative, delivered under the Education Pillar of Verraki’s Corporate Citizenship programme, saw students from Immaculate Heart Junior High School, Mende Junior High School, Mende Senior High School, Government Senior College, Ikoyi, Wahab Folawiyo Senior High School and Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School receive practical training in First Aid and emergency response.

Speaking on the initiative, Niyi Yusuf, managing partner of Verraki, a member of Andersen Consulting, said the company believes education should equip people not only for academic and professional success but also for life.

Yusuf said through the partnership with Health Emergency Initiative, it is helping young people acquire practical skills that can save lives, build confidence, and contribute to safer communities, adding that it also reflects the company’s commitment to developing human capital and creating meaningful social impact.

“The programme aligns with Verraki’s Education Pillar, which focuses on building foundational and applied knowledge among young people while advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). Beyond academic learning, the initiative promotes life skills that enable students to respond effectively during emergencies and support the wellbeing of those around them,” Yusuf said.

Paschal Achunine, founder/executive director of Health Emergency Initiative, while commenting on the partnership, said emergency situations can happen anywhere and the ability to respond appropriately in those critical first moments can mean the difference between life and death.

According to Achunine, through the partnership with Verraki, the organisation is equipping young people and professionals with practical First Aid and emergency response skills that strengthen community resilience and save lives.

He commended Verraki for its commitment to investing in people and creating sustainable impact through programmes that empower individuals to become confident first responders within their schools, workplaces and communities.

Oizamisi Balogun, marketing and communications Lead at Verraki, said the programme demonstrates the power of connecting internal capacity building with community development.

“We deliberately design our community programmes to create impact that endures long after the intervention itself. This partnership with Health Emergency Initiative is a good example. Beyond the recent training of our employees and students, last year’s collaboration equipped 57 students and teachers from 10 secondary schools across Lagos with lifesaving First Aid skills. Today, many of those beneficiaries continue to champion emergency preparedness in their schools, with over 10 percent having directly applied their training to save lives within their communities.”

Through Verraki’s sponsorship, First Responders’ Clubs were also established in four Lagos secondary schools, creating a network of young safety advocates who continue to promote peer learning and emergency response awareness. Each club currently has more than 30 active members promoting safety awareness and emergency preparedness within their school communities.

For us, success is not only measured by the number of people trained, but by the sustainable systems, behaviours, and community impact that emerges long after the training ends.

Verraki’s Corporate Citizenship strategy is anchored on four pillars: Education, Work Readiness & Employability, Entrepreneurship & Skills Development, and Economic Development & Nation Building, through which the firm supports sustainable development and inclusive growth across Africa.

The student outreach followed a First Aid and Safety training programme for Verraki employees, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to creating impact that begins within the organisation and extends into the communities it serves. Through the staff training, employees were equipped with practical emergency response skills and onboarded as registered first responders on HEI’s HERA platform.

The collaboration reflects a longstanding relationship between Verraki and HEI, built on a shared commitment to strengthening community resilience through education and preventive healthcare awareness.