Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has said that the Federal Government spent not less than ₦1 trillion on cancer control in the last one year.
Bagudu made this known at the 5.4-kilometre walk in Abuja, with the theme, “One Walk, One Fight – Walk Away Cancer,” which brought together survivors, health advocates and political leaders in a united call for early detection, prevention and stronger government support to combat one of Africa’s deadliest diseases.
The minister explained that ₦350 billion had been invested in establishing cancer centres across the country, while over ₦300 billion had also been committed to cancer detection equipment, in addition to other allocations to the health sector.
He stressed that additional revenue had been made available to state and local governments for cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, adding that there was a need to hold them accountable for the judicious utilisation of the funds.
“I want to commend the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), under the leadership of its president, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, for its relentless and longstanding cancer awareness and sensitisation campaign.
“Cancer control remains one of the priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector,” he said.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELOn her part, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Maria Mahmoud, said early detection played a significant role in combating cancer before it advanced, urging Nigerians, particularly women and girls, to undergo regular screening, which she said was available at little or no cost in many centres.
“We really appreciate and commend this sensitisation initiative for Nigerians. With this kind of massive turnout, the high prevalence of cervical cancer will go down,” she said.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, also said nobody should fight cancer alone, stressing the importance of early screening and noting that the disease did not discriminate based on age or social influence.
“To all cancer patients and survivors, we see your fight and honour your courage. We shall continue to stand with you in solidarity,” she said.
In his remarks, the president of the Cancer Society of Nigeria, Professor Abidemi Omonisi, called on the Federal Government, civil society organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support cancer patients and survivors as part of efforts towards national development.
“I want to thank the president of the UICC, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, for being a leading cancer control advocate in the country. She is not just an advocate but also contributes financially to supporting cancer patients and survivors because treatment is very expensive,” he said.
In her address, the president of the Union for International Cancer Control, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, said the organisation, in collaboration with other stakeholders, had been fighting cancer for over 12 years and would not relent in its efforts to tackle the deadly disease.
“We want to see a lot more financial appropriation for the fight against cancer. A lot has been done this year, and we want to thank President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative for investing heavily in the health sector for national development,” she said.
A cancer survivor, Mr Farooq Oreagba, said he had been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer more than 12 years ago, attributing his survival to early screening and detection.
“To everyone here, being diagnosed with cancer is not a death sentence. All I need from everyone is regular screening, as early detection saves lives. My cancer was detected even when I was not ill. I have a few more years to go, and I am still not ready to quit,” Oreagba said.
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