ASHA Microfinance Bank hosted a medical outreach and sanitation exercise on Thursday at the Oyigbo Market in Lagos State, as part of its ‘CLEAN-A-MARKET’ campaign.

The outreach, held in the market square, featured health screenings for traders, including blood pressure and blood sugar tests. In addition to the medical checks, the initiative included a collaborative cleanup of the market by the bank’s staff and some traders.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASHA Microfinance Bank, Funmilola Paseda, explained that the programme was designed to promote public health, hygiene awareness, and to encourage community participation among market traders.

Paseda highlighted that the 'Clean a Market Initiative' forms a key part of the bank’s community service efforts. “We are a bank that supports women’s empowerment and promotes financial inclusion. We also prioritize giving back to our communities through initiatives like this,” she said.

“We’ve been here since morning helping to sweep and clean the environment. Beyond sanitation, we’re also offering traders basic health checks such as blood pressure and temperature assessments,” she added.

She further mentioned that the bank extends its support to market traders through business loans and other social impact initiatives, including the provision of clean water. “We’ve installed borehole systems in several communities to ensure access to safe drinking water,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries, a trader named Dasola, expressed appreciation for the effort. “They’ve come to help us clean the market, and we’re grateful. We clean the market every day, but today, they’ve helped us make it even better. With the items they’ve donated, we can now keep our market cleaner,” she said.

Another trader praised the initiative, saying, “This is wonderful. May God bless and prosper them.”

Items donated to the market during the outreach included a refuse bin, brooms, aprons, and umbrella stands.