Mrs. Mernan Oluyede, President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), has called for urgent measures to expand access to cancer care and dismantle barriers that hinder timely diagnosis and treatment across Nigeria.
Oluyede made the call at the World Cancer Day Summit organised by DEPOWA in Abuja as part of activities marking the 2026 World Cancer Day.
She noted that although progress had been made in cancer awareness and treatment, many Nigerians still struggled to access care due to high costs, geographical challenges and limited health infrastructure.
According to her, World Cancer Day transcends symbolism and serves as a global call to action against the devastating impact of cancer on individuals, families and communities.
She explained that the 2026 theme, “United by Unique,” underscored the personal nature of every cancer journey, while emphasising the need for unity among institutions and communities to achieve sustainable solutions.
“Every cancer journey is unique, but our response must be collective. When individuals, families and institutions come together, we can drive meaningful change and save lives,” she said.
Oluyede commended sister associations under the DEPOWA platform for jointly hosting the summit, describing the collaboration as a powerful demonstration of solidarity in the fight against cancer.
She acknowledged ongoing national efforts to strengthen cancer care but stressed that sustained advocacy, grassroots awareness and early detection were essential complements to government initiatives.
She further called for increased emphasis on regular screening, preventive care and stronger support systems for patients and their families.
The DEPOWA president reaffirmed the association’s commitment to championing cancer awareness, supporting survivors and honouring the memory of those lost to the disease.
She urged stakeholders, community leaders and development partners to work collaboratively to ensure that no individual was denied cancer care because of financial constraints or geographical location.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Mrs. Safiyyah Shaibu, said frequent deployments, relocations and service-related pressures often complicated access to timely and continuous cancer treatment for military families.
Shaibu noted that cancer imposed an additional burden on military households, stressing that effective care must go beyond medication to address mental health, family dynamics and continuity of treatment, particularly for affected spouses, children and retirees.
She called on policymakers, healthcare professionals and partners to adopt care models that recognised the unique circumstances of military families, while assuring sustained advocacy, awareness and psychosocial support to ensure that no military family faced cancer alone.
In her remarks, the National President of the Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), Mrs. Aisha Abbas, said the World Cancer Day theme reinforced the need to place people, rather than the disease alone, at the centre of cancer care.
Abbas described every patient’s journey as one marked by courage, pain, hope and resilience, noting that while naval families were accustomed to the pressures of deployments and uncertainty, unity across military families remained a vital force in confronting cancer and supporting those affected.
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA), Mrs. Ngozi Aneke, represented by Dr. Modupe Ogunsina, said the 2026 theme highlighted the shared resilience of military officers’ wives and the importance of collective action to ensure cancer did not define or defeat affected families.
She said NAFOWA remained committed to cancer awareness and prevention through sustained screening initiatives and improved access to screening facilities for women.
According to her, prevention and regular, deliberate screening were far less costly than treating advanced-stage cancer.
She urged women to prioritise their health by making cancer screening a routine practice, noting that early detection saved lives and encouraged participants to spread the message to reduce fear, increase awareness and strengthen community response.
Also speaking, the President of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, identified fear and misinformation as major obstacles to early cancer detection, noting that many women still perceived cancer as an automatic death sentence.
She said POWA’s community outreach and sensitisation programmes had shown that awareness and regular screening were the most effective tools for changing perceptions and ensuring timely medical intervention.
In her presentation, a Senior Consultant Oncologist, Dr. Uchechukwu Shagaya, advised women to take cancer prevention seriously by adopting healthy lifestyles, including regular physical activity, balanced nutrition and avoidance of unhealthy habits.
Shagaya stressed that early detection remained central to successful treatment outcomes, urging women to embrace regular and age-appropriate cancer screening, seek prompt medical attention when symptoms appeared and adhere strictly to prescribed treatment plans.
She added that cancers detected early were often treatable and compatible with long, productive lives.
