Hussaini Ibrahim 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting Nigeria’s rising cancer burden through the launch of a National Sports and Fitness Fiesta Against Cancer, featuring free cancer screening for more than 1,000 civil servants in Abuja.
The event, held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA) as part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2025.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to promote wellness among public servants.
Delivering the keynote address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the campaign as a declaration that Nigerian workers are “choosing health, life, and hope.”
“Without health, there is no service; without health, there is no progress,” she said, adding that “a healthy and resilient civil service is key to national development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
Represented by Mrs. Patience Nwakuso Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Walson-Jack urged workers to utilise the free screening opportunity to prevent late-stage diagnoses.
She said screenings covered breast, cervical, and prostate cancers, stressing that the civil service is “leading by example in promoting wellness and productivity.”
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Chukwu Obinna 
Otamere Gladness 
Oluwafunbi Bello 