By Joy Odor, Abuja
The Federal Government has kicked off an aggressive campaign to combat cancer across Nigeria, flagging off a National Sports and Fitness Fiesta Against Cancer, a landmark event that offered free cancer screening for over 1,000 civil servants in Abuja.
The groundbreaking initiative, held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, marked the first time the government is combining mass fitness activities with free nationwide cancer screening, a major step in shifting focus from treatment to prevention.
Organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA), the event aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of activities for the 2025 Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In her keynote address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack (OON, mni), described the campaign as a national call to action, not just for fitness, but for life.
“This is more than exercise; it’s a declaration that Nigeria’s public servants are choosing health, life, and hope,” she said. “Without health, there is no service. Without health, there is no progress.”
Walson-Jack, represented by Mrs. Patience Nwakuso Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, urged workers to take advantage of the free screening provided, emphasizing that too many Nigerians, including public servants have lost their lives to cancer due to late diagnosis.
“These screenings include breast and cervical cancer for women, and prostate cancer for men. Please, do not leave this stadium today without being screened,” she charged.
Commending the massive turnout from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Walson-Jack said the exercise proves that the public service is leading by example in championing workplace wellness.
“You have not only invested in your own well-being but shown that the civil service is committed to reducing the cancer burden in Nigeria,” she said, assuring that the government will continue promoting preventive health programmes for a stronger, more productive workforce.
The colourful event featured aerobics, medical talks, and award presentations for Early Arrival, Best Kitted, Highest Attendance, and Best Behaved MDA — with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare clinching the Best Behaved award.
In her opening remarks, Daju Kachollom (mni), Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, described the campaign as “epoch-making,” citing alarming statistics on cancer prevalence in Nigeria.
“Nigeria records over 127,000 new cancer cases annually, with breast cancer alone accounting for about 24 percent,” she revealed.
Kachollom lamented that over 80 percent of cancer cases in Nigeria are detected at advanced stages, unlike in developed countries where early screening saves lives.
“The disparity is clear: developed countries may have higher incidence, but we have higher mortality due to poor screening culture. This is why we must act and act now,” she warned.
Reaffirming government’s commitment to long-term prevention, Kachollom vowed that the Health Ministry will push for state-level cancer control programmes through the forthcoming National Council on Health.
“I make bold to say today’s event is not a one-off,” she declared. “This is the beginning of our aggressive campaign for cancer prevention and early detection.
“As Chairman of the Technical Session of the National Council on Health, I will be leading the conversation for states to establish Cancer Control Programmes to ensure routine screening across Nigeria.”
Medical experts at the event emphasized that cancer shares risk factors with other non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, calling prevention the most effective defense.
“Cancer is real, it is ravaging, and it is here with us,” said Dr. Oyiza Oza, Head of Oncology at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja. “The cheapest and most effective response is prevention through lifestyle modification and regular screening. Early detection saves lives.”
Screenings covered breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancers, as well as checks for blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index, and hepatitis B and C, both linked to liver cancer.
While breast and cervical screenings will continue at FMC Abuja, other tests were conducted on-site at the stadium.
As Nigeria battles rising cancer cases, the Federal Government’s new wellness drive signals a decisive shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, putting health, fitness, and early screening at the heart of the civil service agenda.
“Today, we have chosen life over illness, prevention over pain,” Walson-Jack declared. “That is the true spirit of public service.”
