The Ministers of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmed, and the Federal Capital Territory, Maria Mahmoud, have called on Nigerians to prioritise regular cancer screening, stressing that early diagnosis remains critical to improving survival rates.
The ministers made the appeal during a 5.4-kilometre cancer awareness walk organised by the Medicaid Cancer Foundation in Abuja, with the theme, “One Walk, One Fight – Walk Away Cancer.”
According to a statement issued by the foundation on Sunday, Ahmed emphasised that cancer could affect anyone, regardless of age or social standing, urging Nigerians to support patients and survivors while promoting early detection.
She said collective action and increased awareness were necessary to strengthen the fight against the disease, assuring cancer patients and survivors of continued support and solidarity.
Similarly, Mahmoud encouraged Nigerians, particularly women and young girls, to take advantage of available screening services, noting that early identification of cancer could significantly improve treatment outcomes.
She commended the foundation for organising the awareness campaign, expressing optimism that sustained public education and screening initiatives would help reduce the burden of cervical cancer in the country.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, disclosed that the Federal Government had committed more than one trillion naira to cancer control within the past year.
Bagudu said about N350 billion had been allocated to the establishment of cancer treatment centres nationwide, while more than N300 billion had been invested in procuring equipment for cancer detection. He added that additional resources had been made available to state and local governments to support prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
However, the minister stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the management of the funds, urging citizens to monitor how subnational governments utilise the allocations.
He described cancer control as a major component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the health sector and commended the Union for International Cancer Control, led by Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, for its sustained awareness and advocacy efforts.
In her remarks, the President of the Union for International Cancer Control, Dr Zainab Bagudu, said her organisation and other stakeholders had been working to improve cancer awareness and control in Nigeria for more than 12 years.
She called for increased government funding for cancer prevention, screening and treatment, noting that sustained financial investment was essential to expanding access to quality healthcare and improving patient outcomes.
Bagudu also acknowledged the Federal Government’s recent investments in the health sector but urged authorities to sustain and increase their commitment to cancer control.
Meanwhile, the President of the Cancer Society of Nigeria, Professor Abidemi Omonisi, appealed to government institutions, civil society groups and individuals to strengthen support for cancer patients and survivors.
He highlighted the financial difficulties associated with cancer treatment, commending Bagudu for her advocacy and personal contributions towards assisting patients who struggle to meet treatment costs.
A cancer survivor, Farooq Oreagba, who disclosed that he had lived with the diagnosis for more than 12 years, attributed his survival to early screening and diagnosis.
Oreagba urged Nigerians not to view cancer as an automatic death sentence, encouraging regular medical examinations even when there are no obvious symptoms.
He said his condition was detected before he became ill, stressing that early diagnosis and timely medical intervention could make a significant difference in the fight against the disease.
