President Bola Tinubu congratulated Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu on Wednesday for her election as the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) president.  

Mr Tinubu underscored the historic significance of Shinkafi-Bagudu’s election on October 8 as the first African and the fifth woman to lead the global cancer control organisation.

In a statement by the president’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, Mr Tinubu said the election validated Nigeria’s immense talent pool and attested to her competence and character.

Mr Tinubu described Ms Shinkafi-Bagudu’s ascension in the organisation as a landmark achievement and a testament to Nigeria’s growing influence in global health leadership.

He recalled her invaluable services to Kebbi State and the country, for which Nigeria is deeply grateful.

He lauded her stewardship as Chairperson of the First Ladies Cancer Initiative and her contributions to establishing the Kebbi State Strategic Plan for Cancer Control during her tenure as the First Lady of Kebbi State.

Ms Shinkafi-Bagudu, a renowned paediatrician with a distinguished career in public health and former first lady of Kebbi, founded the Medicaid Cancer Foundation.

She is also a senior advisor to the coordinating minister of health and social welfare and deputy chair of Nigeria’s National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination.

Through the federal health ministry and international partnerships, Nigeria has successfully vaccinated 12 million girls against the human papillomavirus, a leading cause of cervical cancer.

The administration has allocated N37.4 billion to the ministry’s oncology initiative.

This initiative will facilitate the establishment of six cancer centres across the country within two years, located in teaching hospitals in Benin, Zaria, Katsina, Enugu, Jos, and Lagos.

Mr Tinubu expressed confidence in Ms Shinkafi-Bagudu’s ability to use her new office and leadership to improve cancer control and global health.

The Geneva-based UICC was founded in 1933 and has more than 1100 member organisations in over 170 countries and territories. 

(NAN)