The Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has appealed to the federal authorities and policymakers to strengthen financing, insurance policies and accountability for most cancers prevention and management.
It warned that commitments with out measurable motion would do little to cut back the nation’s most cancers burden.
The president/chief govt officer of NCS, Prof Abidemi Emmanuel Omonisi, made the decision in a goodwill message on the opening of the 2026 International Cancer Week (ICW), organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) in collaboration with stakeholders.
Omonisi mentioned most cancers remained a major public well being problem in Nigeria, imposing emotional, social and monetary burdens on sufferers, households and communities.
He mentioned the nation’s most cancers response should deal with prevention, well being promotion, early detection, correct analysis, well timed remedy, palliative care, survivorship and entry to high quality most cancers providers.
According to him, most cancers management should additionally prolong past main cities and tertiary establishments to underserved and weak communities.
“As stakeholders, we have made important commitments to improving cancer control in Nigeria. The task before us is to translate these commitments into measurable action and sustainable impact,” he mentioned.
Omonisi pressured the necessity for stronger coordination amongst authorities establishments, healthcare professionals, researchers, civil society organisations, growth companions, the non-public sector, communities, most cancers survivors and sufferers.
He mentioned no single establishment may handle the nation’s most cancers burden alone, noting that partnerships should transfer past conferences to implementation, whereas analysis should reply to real-world wants and insurance policies have to be adequately financed.
He additionally referred to as for higher funding in innovation and analysis, saying expertise, digital well being, knowledge methods, synthetic intelligence and progressive diagnostic approaches may enhance most cancers prevention, detection, remedy and follow-up.
However, he cautioned that innovation have to be evidence-based and designed across the realities of Nigeria’s well being system.
“We need Nigerian evidence to inform Nigerian solutions,” he mentioned, including that analysis ought to transfer past publication to affect coverage, apply and measurable outcomes.
Omonisi mentioned most cancers management should additionally start on the group stage, stressing that nationwide efforts would finally be measured by whether or not Nigerians understood their most cancers dangers, recognised warning indicators, sought care early and had entry to acceptable providers.
He referred to as for stronger group engagement and culturally acceptable well being communication, notably by way of partnerships with conventional and non secular leaders, group organisations, most cancers survivors and affected person advocates.
The NCS president urged stakeholders to make sure that no Nigerian was excluded from most cancers prevention and care due to geography, revenue, gender, age or social circumstances.
He challenged authorities and policymakers to strengthen cancer-control insurance policies, financing and accountability and preserve most cancers as a precedence on Nigeria’s well being and growth agenda.
He additionally urged healthcare professionals and establishments to enhance prevention, early detection, referral pathways, high quality remedy, palliative care and patient-centred providers.
Researchers and lecturers, he mentioned, ought to generate and translate proof addressing Nigeria’s cancer-control priorities, whereas growth and private-sector companions ought to spend money on sustainable options, expertise, infrastructure and programmes able to reaching underserved populations.
Omonisi additional tasked civil society organisations, most cancers advocates and the media with offering correct most cancers data, difficult myths and stigma, and protecting prevention and early detection on the centre of public discourse.
He urged communities and people to be taught most cancers danger elements and warning indicators, undertake more healthy behaviours and search acceptable screening and medical recommendation.
The NCS president additionally emphasised the significance of most cancers survivors and sufferers in shaping most cancers insurance policies and providers.
“Your voices, experiences and leadership must remain central to the cancer-control agenda. Your lived experiences should help shape the policies and services designed to serve you,” he mentioned.
Omonisi referred to as on stakeholders to make the 2026 International Cancer Week greater than a platform for discussions, urging them to make particular commitments that might translate into measurable adjustments after the occasion.
“Let ICW 2026 be more than a week of conversations. Let it be a week of commitments that lead to action,” he mentioned.
He urged each establishment represented on the occasion to determine at the least one motion it may advance past the week and outline how the motion would profit essentially the most weak Nigerians.
He mentioned the legacy of the 2026 International Cancer Week ought to be decided by the commitments made and the lives improved by way of their implementation.
Omonisi mentioned the Nigerian Cancer Society remained dedicated to working with authorities and different stakeholders to remodel cancer-control commitments into sustained motion.
He referred to as for a shift from consciousness to motion, proof to coverage, innovation to affect and remoted efforts to coordinated nationwide motion.
He expressed hope that collective efforts would contribute to a Nigeria the place most cancers prevention was prioritised, early detection was accessible, high quality care was out there and most cancers survivors acquired enough help.
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