FIC Report (Imo State) – As part of the Federal Government’s resolve to control rising cases of cancer in the country, it has initiated a cervical cancer screening programme in Owerri, Imo state.
While speaking at the event, the Minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Izaiq Salako stated that the government has identified cancer; including cervical cancer as a national health priority that requires urgent attention, adding that the programme is a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the lives and health of Nigerians and women in particular
He explained that the launch of the National Institute For Cancer Research And Treatment ( NICRAT ) in 2023 was a landmark move by the Federal Government to provide lasting institutional structure for cancer management.
The minister further stated that Imo state was picked as the South East flagship because of the commendable commitment of Governor Hope Uzodimma and his wife Barrister Chioma Uzodimma to maternal and child health.
Also speaking, the Director General NICRAT , Prof. Usman Aliyu emphasised that the Owerri launch was a purposeful tactical move to provide cancer screening for more than ten thousand (10,000) women across the state, noting that it is aimed at drawing Nigeria nearer to the WHO 90-70-90 strategy of eliminating cervical cancer through Vaccination, Screening and Treatment.
In furtherance of it, Prof. Aliyu explained that the objective of the project was also to embed early detection into the system’s foundation, ensuring long-term sustainability and reliability.
While commending the leadership of the National Task Force led by Prof. Isaac Adewole and the Federal Ministry of Health for giving the policy the necessary direction to move from “ambition to Implementation”, he also highlighted the four key pillars of the programme to be Strategic Leadership, Capacity Building, Health Equity, and Sustainability.
Governor Uzodimma, while launching the exercise, reiterated the pressing need for increased cancer awareness campaigns at the grassroots, and admonished women in Imo state to make themselves available for both screening and vaccination, stressing that the vaccine is free and safe.
He thanked the president for his dynamic health reforms, and commended the wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for funding the initiative.
Pledging the state governments support, the governor called on traditional and community leaders to champion the awareness campaigns in their various communities.
Also speaking, the wife of the Imo governor, Mrs Uzodimma expressed gratitude to Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her hefty donor responsiveness to the task force for the expansion of services, and encouraged women to visit designated screening facilities with confidence.
AKUSHIE CHIOMA MARK HELEN
HOC FIC OWERRI
30/4/2026
