The Red Cross activities first took place in Nigeria as far back as 1917 when an Adamu Orisha Play was staged in Lagos to raise funds for the Red Cross to provide relief for returning soldiers of World War 1. Later in 1951, the Nigerian Branch of the British Red Cross was opened in Lagos by the Governor General and a period of rapid expansion of the organization throughout the country followed. With the formal handover by the Vice chairman of the British Red Cross Society, the Countess of Limerick, to the Prime Minister of the Federation, thee Hon. The Nigerian Red Cross Society became an independent National Society in February 1961 following the official recognition by the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent; Nigeria became the 86th member nation of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Committee in Prague in September, 1961. The same time, the Nigerian Red Cross Society was elected to serve on the league of Executive of the International Federation. In 1977, the Nigerian Red Cross society was again honoured, when its National President, the late Hon. Adefarasin was elected to a fore year term as the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
With over 500,000 Volunteers in all the 36 states branches and the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) usually turns out to be the foremost responder to emergencies.
