ABEOKUTA — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged Nigerians to undergo regular medical screening for the early detection of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Vanguard reported the appeal on Sunday. Obasanjo made the call in the context of Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo’s death from advanced metastatic kidney cancer at age 40.
Obasanjo said Ekubo’s death is a painful reminder that many Nigerians die from diseases that could be detected and treated if caught early. He said the stigma around medical check-ups, the cost of healthcare, and a cultural tendency to rely on prayer alone rather than combine faith with medicine are all factors that lead Nigerians to hospitals only when diseases are already advanced.
“I urge every Nigerian to take their health seriously. Go for regular check-ups. Screen for cancer. Know your numbers. We lose too many people to diseases that were preventable or treatable if only we had caught them in time,” Obasanjo said.
The Cancer Crisis
A leading Nigerian oncologist warned earlier in May that one in four Nigerians will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime. The country has fewer than 100 licensed cancer treatment facilities for over 230 million people. Most cancer diagnoses in Nigeria come in stage three or four when treatment outcomes are significantly worse.
Ekubo’s June 18 burial in Abia State will give Nigeria’s entertainment and broader community an opportunity to honour his life. His family has indicated plans for a charitable initiative in his memory focused on cancer awareness and screening access for low-income Nigerians.
The Federal Ministry of Health said it is developing a more aggressive national cancer awareness campaign in partnership with state health ministries. Officials said the campaign will include subsidised screening clinics at primary health centres across all geopolitical zones beginning in the third quarter of 2026.
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