April 24, 2016, was a sad day for doctors in Ekiti state Nigeria. On that day, Dr Tunde Aladesanmi, a renowned surgeon, medical teacher, mentor, and a humanitarian, died on his way to Sokoto to attend an official meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association. He was accompanied by six other doctors and their driver, all from Ekiti State. But what should have been a routine journey turned into a tragedy that shook the Nigerian medical community to its core.

On the Abuja-Kaduna Road, the group’s vehicle was involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed the lives of seven passengers of the passengers in the NMA bus that was taking them to Sokoto. The doctors and their driver, known as the “Ekiti Seven,” were mourned by their colleagues, patients, and loved ones, who were left reeling from the senseless loss of life.

This tragedy became a wake-up call for the Class of 88 UICOM group, Dr Aladesanmi’s medical school classmates at the University of Ibadan, who knew they had to take action to prevent similar incidents from happening again. They formed the Dr Aladesanmi Foundation to honour their friend and mentor’s legacy and to work towards a safer future for all Nigerians= road users.

At the Dr Aladesanmi Foundation, we believe that no one should have to experience the pain of losing a loved one to a preventable road traffic crash. That’s why we’re committed to promoting road safety education, awareness campaigns, and community engagement to reduce the number of crashes in Nigeria.

Through our work, we hope to prevent tragedies like the one that took the lives of Dr Aladesanmi and the Ekiti Seven, and to create a safer and more prosperous future for all Nigerians. We invite you to join us in our mission and honour the memory of those we have lost by supporting the Dr Aladesanmi Foundation today.