World Cancer Day: Beyond the ribbons, Nigeria must confront the reality
Why Nigeria’s Leaders Flee Abroad for Healthcare While Public Hospitals Collapse. Photo credit; Eja Manifest.
By Eja Manifest
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world today to mark World Cancer Day, the occasion calls for more than symbolic gestures, awareness ribbons, or trending hashtags. It demands honest reflection and decisive action. The global theme for World Cancer Day, “United by Unique,” reminds us that while cancer affects millions, every person’s experience is different—and our response must be people-centred, inclusive, and compassionate.
This theme is particularly relevant for Nigeria, where cancer is no longer a distant health concern. It is present in our homes, communities, workplaces, churches, and mosques. From breast and cervical cancer to prostate, liver, and childhood cancers, the burden continues to rise. Yet, for many Nigerians, a cancer diagnosis still feels like a death sentence rather than a condition that can be prevented, treated, or managed when detected early.
One of the most persistent challenges is late presentation. Many patients only seek medical help when the disease has reached an advanced stage. Poor awareness, fear, stigma, cultural beliefs, and misinformation all contribute to this delay. In some communities, cancer is still wrongly attributed to spiritual causes, pushing patients toward unverified alternatives instead of timely medical care. By the time they arrive at a hospital, treatment options are limited and survival chances significantly reduced.
Nigeria’s government hospitals, which should be the backbone of cancer care, are under immense pressure. Diagnostic and treatment facilities such as mammography machines, radiotherapy units, functional pathology laboratories, and oncology specialists are either insufficient or concentrated in a few urban centres. For patients in rural and semi-urban areas, access remains a major obstacle. Even where facilities exist, long waiting periods, equipment breakdowns, and staff shortages often delay care.
Another major issue is the cost of cancer treatment. Cancer care in Nigeria is still largely funded out of pocket. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and follow-up care are expensive, and existing health insurance coverage remains limited. As a result, many families are pushed into financial distress, forced to sell assets, seek loans, or abandon treatment altogether. This turns cancer into not just a health crisis, but a social and economic one.
As we mark World Cancer Day today, there are clear steps Nigeria must take seriously. First, prevention and early detection must be prioritised. Public education should be continuous, not seasonal, and integrated into primary healthcare, schools, markets, and faith-based spaces. Screening for common cancers—especially breast, cervical, and prostate—must be affordable and accessible at the grassroots.
Government must also strengthen public health institutions by investing in modern equipment, supporting oncology training, and ensuring functional cancer centres across the country. Policies must move beyond paper promises to real implementation. Maintenance culture, accountability, and sustainable funding are essential if public hospitals are to serve cancer patients effectively.
Equally important is what we must stop doing. Cancer response should not be politicised or reduced to one-day ceremonies. Funds meant for healthcare must not be diverted or mismanaged. Patients should not be treated with stigma, neglect, or indifference. The “United by Unique” theme reminds us that every cancer patient deserves dignity, empathy, and care tailored to their individual reality.
The way forward lies in collaboration. Government, private sector, civil society, the media, health professionals, and community leaders must work together. Cancer research and data collection must be strengthened through functional cancer registries to guide evidence-based policies. Survivors and patients must also have a voice in shaping cancer care strategies in Nigeria.
World Cancer Day should be a moment of renewed commitment, not empty symbolism. If Nigeria must truly celebrate this day, it must do so by prioritising people over politics, action over awareness alone, and care over convenience. Only then can we say we are truly united—by our unique stories, struggles, and shared responsibility to save lives.