The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Affairs Secretariat has emphasized that women’s health, particularly combating breast and cervical cancers, is a top priority of the current FCT administration led by Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike.
Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, made this known in her keynote address at the 2025 Women’s Health and Advocacy Programme, themed “Bridging Awareness Gaps on Breast and Cervical Cancer Among Local Women,” organized in partnership with Julius Berger Services Nigeria and Family Peace and Women Empowerment Initiative (FAPWEI).
Benjamins-Laniyi stressed that breast and cervical cancers, leading causes of death for Nigerian women, are preventable and treatable with early detection. She lamented that ignorance, late diagnosis, stigma, and lack of access to healthcare exacerbate the issue, urging a shift toward knowledge and proactive health measures. “What kills women is not the disease itself, it is ignorance, late detection, stigma, silence, and lack of access to medical support,” she said, announcing a sustained campaign across the FCT’s six area councils to provide free or low-cost screenings.
Representatives from Julius Berger and the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat praised the collaboration, with Shakira Mustapha of Julius Berger reaffirming the company’s commitment to community health. Deputy Director Aina Sani urged women to prioritize self-care, saying, “Today we are handing the pen to the lionesses so that every woman can write her own story of health and survival.”
The event concluded with the distribution of rice to participants as a gesture of appreciation.
The initiative aims to extend awareness and screening services to all 62 wards and hundreds of communities in the FCT. “Ignorance is too expensive. Silence is too costly. Fear is too deadly. Today, we choose knowledge, early discovery, and life,” Benjamins-Laniyi declared.