Abiodun Pledges Budget Allocation for Cancer Awareness Initiatives

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans to include dedicated funding in the state’s annual budget to strengthen cancer awareness, early detection, and treatment programmes.

He made the commitment on Tuesday in Abeokuta while receiving a delegation from the Cancer Awareness and Screening Team during the commissioning of a free breast screening centre.

Governor Abiodun said the state government would partner with relevant organisations to expand cancer prevention and management initiatives, adding that financial support for such programmes would be prioritised.

“The government cannot do it alone, but I assure you that we will provide the necessary support, including budgetary provisions, to sustain cancer prevention and treatment efforts,” he said.

He described cancer as a disease that “knows no boundaries of status or wealth,” stressing that early detection remains key to saving lives.

The governor also disclosed plans to integrate cancer screening into the Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme to ensure wider access to healthcare for residents. He further appealed to corporate organisations to include cancer awareness and treatment support in their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

The delegation included the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma; the wife of the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Bagudu, who is also the President-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control; the wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun; the General Manager of Roche Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Company; and Ogun State Commissioners for Health and Women Affairs and Social Development.

Mrs. Uzodimma explained that the visit was part of a nationwide breast cancer awareness campaign in partnership with Roche Healthcare and the Ogun State Government. “We are working together to raise awareness, pay medical bills for cancer patients, and advocate for improved cancer care. We urge the state to incorporate cancer screening into its health insurance scheme and establish a dedicated Cancer Health Fund,” she said.

Mrs. Abiodun commended Roche Healthcare for donating the Breast Screening Centre to Oba Ademola Hospital, Abeokuta, describing it as a significant step toward improving healthcare access in the state.

Roche Healthcare’s General Manager, Dr. Ladipo Hammed, noted that the partnership, which aligns with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, aims to strengthen national health systems and emphasised that early detection is crucial to reducing cancer-related deaths.

Dr. Bagudu also called for the institutionalisation of cancer awareness and screening initiatives within Nigeria’s healthcare policies to ensure continuity and sustainability.