Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
Elevated experiences celebrating the culture through dance and rhythm
Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Adekunle Gold stepped beyond the stage and into the heart of Lagos to mark World Sickle Cell Day in a profoundly personal way. On June 20, 2026, his nonprofit organization hosted a transformative medical outreach at Akerele Medical Centre in Surulere, delivering essential healthcare services to more than 500 individuals living with sickle cell disease.
Partnering with the Sickle Cell Advocacy & Management Initiative (SAMI), the quarterly event provided comprehensive medical interventions including specialist consultations, diagnostic lab work, pain and crisis management, and a three-month supply of medications. The Grammy-nominated artist, who publicly revealed his own sickle cell journey in 2022, connected directly with patients and their families, sharing words of encouragement rooted in his lived experience. “As a warrior, I was constantly told I couldn’t do several things because of my condition, but I never listened to them,” he told the crowd of children and parents. “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 destigmatize the sickle cell disease, bring attention to it, and provide key support to help every warrior live a fulfilling life.”
The event carried additional significance as the first major outreach following the recent passing of SAMI founder Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adesola. Foluso Phillips, Chairman of SAMI’s board, emphasized the importance of continuing her legacy while highlighting the critical need for awareness and preventative screening. “The essence of SAMI is to try and educate people about not creating a situation whereby people with sickle cell will be born,” Phillips explained. “That’s why blood screening is so important before people get engaged in any form of child-bearing.” Nigeria bears the world’s largest burden of sickle cell disease, with over 150,000 children born with the condition annually.
The Adekunle Gold Foundation’s impact extends beyond quarterly outreaches. In 2025, the organization launched its 5 Star Care initiative, providing 1,000 sickle cell patients with free health insurance coverage through a partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Health Management Agency. By combining direct medical support with systemic healthcare access and global research collaboration, the foundation is transforming how Nigeria addresses one of its most pressing genetic health challenges—one patient, one outreach, one life at a time.
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