The Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has warned that IDPs and rural Nigerians remain “completely forgotten’’ in cancer interventions, even though they bear some of the country’s highest burdens of late-stage disease.

President of the society, Abidemi Omonisi, raised the alarm in a statement to mark the 2026 World Cancer Day on Thursday.

He stressed that neglecting vulnerable groups undermines Nigeria’s fight against cancer.

He said more than two million Nigerians displaced by insurgency live in camps across northern states, yet most cancer services are concentrated in state capitals and urban centres, leaving rural dwellers without care.

“This is not acceptable. Governments must prioritise these groups; we must reach the rural communities where the majority of late cancer cases are seen,” he said.

Mr Omonisi added that the NCS was deploying free cancer screening projects to rural communities, underserved Nigerians, and IDP camps, and seeking funds to purchase mobile screening and treatment vans for all six geopolitical zones.

He said the 2026 theme, “United by Unique,” underscores the need to recognise individual cancer journeys while working collectively to reduce Nigeria’s cancer burden and improve access to care.

Mr Omonisi described cancer as a human experience that affects how people live, work, love, and dream, noting that stigma, high costs, and late diagnosis continue to make the journey harder for many Nigerians.

He acknowledged national progress, including improved policies, cancer registries, the creation of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), and upgrades of tertiary centres, but warned that “these achievements must not make us complacent.

“We still see families pushed into poverty by the cost of care. We still face shortages in oncology services, diagnostic capacity, and trained health workers.”

He emphasised that many cancers are preventable or treatable if detected early, urging stronger collaboration among government, health professionals, researchers, civil society, the private sector, and communities.

Mr Omonisi reaffirmed the society’s commitment to equitable cancer care, public education, early detection, data strengthening, and protection of the rights of cancer patients and survivors.

He celebrated survivors as “living proof that cancer does not define the end of the story” and saluted caregivers whose “extraordinary strength often goes unseen.”

He also urged young people to embrace healthy lifestyles, vaccination, screening, and advocacy, noting that cancer is not only an older person’s disease.

He said, “As we mark World Cancer Day, let us move from awareness to action. Let us build a Nigeria where a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. “

He called for nationwide equity in access to quality cancer care, stressing that where a person lives or what they earn should not determine their survival.

Mr Omonisi said each cancer journey is unique, but Nigerians must remain united in hope, courage, and the drive to change the country’s cancer story.

World Cancer Day is marked annually on February 4 to raise awareness, promote education, and encourage coordinated action against the growing burden of cancer worldwide. 
(NAN)