The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on all segments of society—including development partners, private sector stakeholders, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations—to lend their resources, knowledge, and innovation to the nationwide campaign aimed at eradicating cervical cancer.
Speaking at the official launch of the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN), held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, the First Lady described the initiative as a pivotal moment in advancing the health and dignity of Nigerian women and girls.
“This marks the beginning of a transformational journey,” she said, highlighting that cervical cancer, despite being the second most common cancer among Nigerian women, is one of the most preventable. “Cervical cancer is a silent killer, one that disproportionately affects vulnerable women. Yet, it is entirely preventable.”
Mrs. Tinubu emphasised the urgency for collective and sustained efforts, urging all relevant stakeholders to rally behind the national cause.
“At this juncture, I call on development partners, the private sector, NGOs, and academic institutions to bring their resources, expertise, and innovation into this campaign. We are counting on your support to ensure the success of this collaboration,” she declared.
She applauded the alignment of PECCiN with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on Health, which places strong emphasis on improving the well-being of all Nigerians, particularly women.
Reinforcing the administration’s commitment to eradicating cervical cancer as a public health threat by 2030, the First Lady cited the country’s significant milestone in rolling out the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in 2023.
“Nigeria has already shown what is possible. In just nine months, over 12 million girls were vaccinated. That is a remarkable achievement,” she said.
She attributed this success to the concerted efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and global health organisations such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, and UNICEF.
However, Mrs. Tinubu warned against complacency, stressing the need to expand HPV screening, scale up innovative and cost-effective treatment options, and ensure that services reach the most critical points—particularly primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
“We cannot stop here. We must build on this momentum,” she urged. “We need extensive resources and funding.”
To this end, the First Lady announced that her initiative, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), has pledged ₦1 billion to support the cervical cancer elimination campaign.
“I encourage our state governors, business leaders, and development partners to also step forward and invest in this cause. Together, we must ensure a future where no woman in Nigeria dies from a preventable disease.”
Representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State reaffirmed the Forum’s readiness to collaborate with the First Lady on this national priority. He assured of state-level policy adoption and budgetary allocations for cervical cancer prevention and treatment programs.
“Strengthening our primary healthcare systems is essential,” Uzodimma said, “especially in reaching underserved and rural populations with equitable health services.”
Adding further support, Professor Isaac Adewole, former Minister of Health and Chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE), emphasised that PECCiN would ensure a coordinated, government-led approach to cervical cancer eradication. He also stressed the importance of fostering broad-based partnerships between public and private sectors.
Vice Chairperson of the committee, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, noted that the launch of PECCiN represented a renewed and strategic commitment to combating cervical cancer in Nigeria, signalling hope for the future of women’s health in the country.