Temie Giwa – Tubosun, founder of a medical distribution service in Nigeria

In 2016, Temie Giwa – Tubosun founded Lifebank, a health company delivering on demand blood, blood products, oxygen as well as healthcare facilities to hospitals in Nigeria, but also in Kenya & Ethiopia. In 7 years, the company has saved 40 000 people thanks to its services. In 2020, the Nigerian medical entrepreneur was selected as Cartier Women Initiative’s fellow for her social impact.

It was after a personal experience that Temie Giwa-Tubosun decided to found her company. She once had a difficult childbirth, but being abroad, she had access to lifesaving operations, which she could not have got in Nigeria. She then, decided to launch a medical service that could help to prevent women’s death in childbirth mostly due to postpartum hemorrhage. This service would simply move the excess blood from the 60 blood suppliers in Lagos to hospitals where patients desperately needed it, so that « doctors could focus on treating patients rather than locating blood ». « Imagine a world where zero women die from postpartum hemmorhage. I think we will make the world a better place, and that’s what we are trying to do », she says on the company’s website.

Lifebank delivers blood and blood products 24/7. It reduces drastically the delivery time. Blood can be distributed at any hospital in less than an hour either by motocycles, boats, or drones. Through the company’s call center, hospitals can request blood and be delivered in the right conditions and on time. Apart from blood and blood products, the company also distributes medical supplies such as oxygen, plasma, vaccines… and it operates also in Ethiopia and Kenya. In 7 years, the company has transported 155 569 units of blood, has served 1200 hospitals and has saved 40 000 people.

Temie Giwa-Tubosun graduated from Minnesota University in 2007 with a bachelor in arts, political sciences. She also holds a Master degree in health management from Middleburry Institute of International studies at Monterey, as well as a certificate in project management from the Development Project Management Institute in 2009.

She received several awards and accolades. In 2014, she was listed in the BBC 100 Women. She was also awarded the Jack Ma’s Africa Netpreneur Prize in 2019. She was also ranked among the « 15 African Female Founders that should be known in 2023 » by African Folder.