SID Initiative leads advocacy visit to Lagos TB Network to strengthen collaboration, advance awareness

On May 5, 2026, Sustainable Impact and Development (SID) Initiative, alongside their Gender Equality Champions under the Gender Equality Fund (GEF) project, conducted an advocacy visit to the Tuberculosis Network (TB Network).

The visit provided a strategic platform to strengthen collaboration, share insights, and institutionalise the organisation in tuberculosis response in Lagos State.

During the visit, SID Initiative’s Program Officer, Gloria Williams, formally introduced the organisation and the Gender Equality Fund (GEF) project.

The GEF Project, currently in its second year of implementation, aims to equip Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) with the knowledge and skills to lead advocacy efforts within their communities, especially on TB, HIV, malaria, and SRHR.

As part of SID Initiative’s commitment to inclusion, the champions include young women with disabilities, particularly persons with visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and albinism.

The Gender Equality Champions present shared reflections on their training and highlighted their advocacy efforts, including radio engagements that raised awareness on tuberculosis and educated the public on prevention, early detection, treatment, and stigma reduction.

As part of the discussions, it was highlighted that SID Initiative had previously registered with the TB Network, and the visit further strengthened this relationship.

The team also shared a tuberculosis fact sheet developed through the project to support wider dissemination of accurate information across the network.

Ifelunwa Aipoh, the president of the TB Network, commended SID Initiative for its impactful work and the implementation of the Gender Equality Fund (GEF) project, noting the importance of youth-led advocacy in raising awareness about tuberculosis.

She highlighted the role of the Gender Equality Champions in promoting early detection, prevention, and community education, emphasising that such efforts are critical to saving lives and reducing the burden of tuberculosis. She further expressed hope that the initiative will be sustained beyond the current project cycle and affirmed the Network’s commitment to including SID Initiative in its activities, ensuring continued collaboration and engagement.

SID Initiative extends sincere appreciation to the TB Network for the warm reception and openness to collaboration.

The organisation looks forward to sustained partnership in advancing community-led tuberculosis awareness and response.

Sustainable Impact and Development (SID) Initiative remains committed to advancing social development through youth-led advocacy, capacity building, and inclusive interventions that promote equitable access to health information and services.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.