By Simeon OSAJIE
The Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum (NBAWF), Edo State Chapter, in collaboration with St. Augustine Medical Center, Bisam Care Foundation, and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Edo State Chapter, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, held a public rally awareness on cancer prevention, early detection, and management in Benin City, Edo state.
The sensitization walk with the theme, “WALK. CHECK. LIVE. PINK STEPS, STRONG WOMEN” flagged off at 7:00 a.m. from the front of the High Court and NBA House, proceeded through major streets of the city, with a brief stopover at the NUJ Press Centre, before turning to the King’s Square (Ring Road).
Leading in the rally with different inscriptions such as “Early Detection Saves Lives”, “Get Checked, Stay Alive*, “Fight Cancer With Courage”, “Cancer Is Curable, If Caught Early”, “Screen Today, Smile Tomorrow”, “Your Life Matters, Get Screened”, “Show Care, Love Not Anger To Cancer Patients”, etc were Mrs. Bridget Imuetinyanosa Iguodala, Edo State Lead of NBAWF; Dr. Michael Osahumen Orhue, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; and Comrade Habiba Aniekan Sam, Chairperson of NAWOJ, Edo State Chapter.
In her address at the awareness rally, the leader, Mrs. Bridget Iguodala highlighted that “cancer has continued to ravage both women and men in society. The Forum organised the walk under the motto ‘Lawyers Who Walk The Talk Against Cancer’ to reassure the public that early detection makes these conditions highly manageable and curable,” she said.
Mrs. Iguodala stressed that a major goal of the campaign is to break the culture of fear and eliminate the harmful stigmatization that often prevents individuals from seeking timely medical care.
She pointed out that beyond the physical rally, the initiative also features a virtual Zoom seminar where medical experts will interact directly with the public, deliver lectures on preventive measures, self-examination techniques, and screening protocols for breast, cervical, and prostate cancers.
The leader further expressed deep gratitude to all collaborating partners for ensuring the success of the campaign.
“We are reaching out, touching lives, telling many battling with cancer that we are aware of their pains and we are with them. For cancer-free people in society, we are letting them know how to look out for signs and symptoms to enable them to act early to save life,” she said.
Speaking during an interview held at the rally, the Chairman of NAWOJ, Comrade Habiba Sam expressed the Association deep commitment to women’s well-being, noting that good health remains the greatest gift anyone can offer to their loved ones.
She disclosed that the essence of the multi-professional synergy was to amplify public awareness, stressing that “a cancer diagnosis is not an automatic death sentence when detected early.
Comrade Habiba who
addressed both survivors and individuals currently battling the condition, advised strict adherence to prescribed medications and regular medical checks as critical to avoiding recurrence, citing real-life examples of individuals who fully recovered and remained healthy because they stayed consistent with their checkups and treatment.
“As deadly as cancer is, one can still stay free from it, with early detection which is key to staying alive. Check always,” she stressed.
Comrade Habiba said the awareness has become necessary because of the way cancer is killing people all over the world, and despite its dangers, it is still curable with early detection and timely treatment.
In his remarks, Dr. Alare Enoma Edosa noted that cancer is one of the deadliest diseases ravaging the globe today, and that it affects men as well, not just women.
He said awareness can never be over-emphasised and that programmes like this are very vital in educating the public, not only on breast cancer but also on prostate cancer and other malignancies.
“Prevention of breast cancer involves many things, but first you have to know the risk factors. Who are those at risk of breast cancer or other cancers? We have ovarian cancers, prostate cancer for men. The majority have a first-degree relative with a previous history of cancer, and increasing age is also a risk factor. Being a woman also puts you at risk for breast cancer.
“Most cancers are curable when diagnosed early and that is why we encourage regular checks. For breast cancer, we encourage yearly mammograms for high-risk women, and in some cases even earlier screening. For prostate cancer, we encourage men to do the necessary tests,” Dr. Edosa said.
Adding government and legislative support to the crusade, Hon. Samson Osagie, Esq., congratulated the organisers for initiating such a laudable health intervention.
He noted that with the entire month of October globally dedicated to cancer awareness, it was imperative to organise grassroots events that educate citizens not only on the severe health threats posed by cancer, but also on the clear, practical steps required to navigate treatment successfully.
Hon. Osagie particularly lauded the Bisam Care Foundation, one of the core partners, for its direct interventions in assisting active cancer patients and its ongoing crusade to educate the public on the vital necessity of routine diagnostic screenings.
He urged members of the community to embrace preventive diagnostic tools, specifically highlighting regular clinical breast exams, diagnostic ultrasounds, mammograms, Pap smears, and biopsies, as indispensable medical evaluations needed to identify, confront, and defeat cancer at its earliest stages.
“If detected early, chances of surviving it are very high. For us, Bisam Care Foundation, collaboration today with the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum, NAWOJ and other non-governmental organisations to create this awareness is part of our community service. We are out to help the sick and the needy. We have supported patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, we have done medical outreaches like this before to create awareness, and we have also assisted patients in several ways within our reach to lessen their burden,” he said.
During the rally, a middle-aged woman, Mrs. Tawa Akin, who met the rally team, noted that she had been experiencing serious pain in her left breast for some time, it was causing her great discomfort.
The Chairperson among the rally members thereafter gave her the contact of the medical team from St. Augustine Medical Center, who were part of the collaboration with NBAWF and NAWOJ for the sensitisation rally, for immediate medical attention.