The Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and the Health Emergency Initiative, has expanded its flagship community nutrition programme, Project BLOOM, to Ajegunle under Lagos State Health District V, reaching over 120 children alongside their mothers and caregivers.
In a statement on Sunday, the outreach, held at the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Secretariat, followed the success of the project’s pilot edition in Yaba’s Aiyetoro Primary Health Centre, where hundreds of children were screened and over 61 per cent were found to require urgent medical attention. Subsequent monitoring showed that about 48 per cent of the affected children made significant recovery within weeks, regaining healthy weight and vitality.
At the Ajegunle phase, children received ready-to-use therapeutic foods and underwent comprehensive health checks, while mothers and caregivers were trained on preparing low-cost, nutritious meals and maintaining proper hygiene. Initial assessments revealed that 69 children were moderately malnourished, 29 were severely malnourished, and 24 were at risk of becoming malnourished.
According to the statement, over 20 NGX Group employees volunteered during the exercise, working alongside district health officials to conduct screenings, collect data, and train caregivers. Their participation, the Exchange said, reflects its commitment to promoting a culture of service and social responsibility among its workforce.
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, said the programme’s success demonstrates how collaborative action can create measurable impact in communities.
“Seeing 48.8 per cent of the children identified with malnutrition now in recovery, and others steadily improving, has been truly inspiring. It affirms that our partnership with HEI and the Lagos State Government is driving real change. For us at NGX Group, building strong capital markets goes hand in hand with building strong communities,” he said.
Executive Director of HEI, Pascal Achunine, described the expansion as a timely intervention. “The first outreach showed us the depth of the malnutrition crisis and the power of swift, coordinated action. The results prove that when public and private sectors work together with urgency and compassion, we can save lives and restore hope,” he stated.
