May & Baker Nigeria Plc, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected pharmaceutical companies, has celebrated 80 years of delivering quality healthcare services to the nation. Founded in 1944, the company has consistently played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s healthcare landscape, making significant contributions to the health and well-being of millions of Nigerians.
The company’s CEO, Patrick Ajah, at a press conference, to commemorate May & Baker Nigeria Plc 80th anniversary, highlighted May & Baker’s commitment to innovation and excellence. He credited the company’s longevity to its focus on quality, investment in research and development, and dedication to meeting the health needs of Nigerians.
“Eighty years is a significant milestone, and it underscores our resilience and ability to adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment. Our mission has always been to provide Nigerians with affordable, high-quality medications, and we are committed to continuing this legacy for many more decades,” said Ajah.
Speaking on activities lined-up for the 80th anniversary, the CEO said activities includes donation of transformer to host community in Ogun state; renovations of some charity homes within Lagos and its environ; helping some brilliant students at University of Ibadan and ‘Walk for Life’, to create awareness on life threatening diseases/health conditions.
Ajah claimed that although May & Baker typically observes the walk for life/hypertension awareness walk during World Hypertension Day, the company chose to do so as part of the activities to mark its 80th anniversary in order to give back to the community. This was evident at the recent hypertension awareness walk, which raised awareness of the condition and also screened many people to find out their blood pressure status.
According to Ajah, hypertension is one of the most fatal illnesses that can cause unexpected death, but sadly, a lot of individuals are out there on the streets without realising they have this condition. Because blood pressure tests don’t require a lab visit or blood sample testing, he pointed out that they are simple to perform.
Pharm. Ajah advises Nigerians to be aware of their family history, get frequent checkups, and watch what they eat due to the dangerous nature of hypertension, commonly known as the “silent killer.” He particularly urged Nigerians to exercise caution around the conditions he dubbed a “dangerous alliance,” namely diabetes and hypertension. He noted that it is safer and quite sensible for someone with diabetes to periodically monitor their blood pressure.
“More importantly now, people should know their sugar level. If somebody is diabetic, he should be watching his blood pressure and this is because if someone is diabetic and hypertensive, such a person is prone to sudden death, when the condition is not properly managed. We used to call it a dangerous alliance. So people need to go for test”, Ajah said.