Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Adekunle Gold turned World Sickle Cell Day into a lifeline for hundreds of families in Lagos. On June 20, 2026, his foundation hosted a powerful quarterly medical outreach at Akerele Medical Centre in Surulere, delivering critical healthcare services to over 500 individuals living with sickle cell disease. The initiative, executed in partnership with the Sickle Cell Advocacy & Management Initiative (SAMI), provided comprehensive medical interventions including specialist consultations, diagnostic testing, pain management, and three months’ worth of medications—all free of charge.
The Grammy-nominated artist, who publicly revealed his own sickle cell journey in 2022, showed up personally to connect with beneficiaries and share a message that hit different. “As a warrior, I was constantly told I couldn’t do several things because of my condition, but I never listened to them,” Adekunle Gold told the children and parents gathered. “Today, I want to encourage and remind you that you can be anything you want to be and your dreams are valid. At Adekunle Gold Foundation, our goal is to destigmatise the sickle cell disease, bring attention to it, and provide key support to help every warrior live a fulfilling life.” His words carried extra weight coming from someone who’s built an international music career while managing the condition himself.
The event held additional significance as the first major outreach since the recent passing of SAMI founder Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adesola. Foluso Phillips, Chairman of the SAMI board, emphasized both the preventive and supportive aspects of their mission. “The essence of SAMI is to try and educate people about not creating a situation whereby people with sickle cell will be born. That’s why blood screening is so important before people get engaged in any form of child rearing,” Phillips explained. “We are truly grateful to Adekunle Gold for his support in ensuring that this initiative continues to be a success.” The outreach’s success served as a moving tribute to Mrs. Adesola’s legacy while affirming that the work will continue.
The numbers behind this effort are staggering and underscore why the work matters. Nigeria leads the world with over 150,000 children born with sickle cell disease annually, with millions currently living with the condition. The Adekunle Gold Foundation isn’t stopping at quarterly outreaches—in 2025, they launched the 5 Star Care initiative, providing 1,000 sickle cell warriors with free health insurance coverage through partnerships with the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Lagos State Health Management Agency. By combining immediate medical intervention with long-term healthcare access solutions and global research collaboration, the foundation is tackling sickle cell disease from multiple angles, proving that artists can leverage their platforms for transformative community impact.
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