The Federal Government says it has spent over one trillion naira on cancer control in the past year, as ministers and health stakeholders call on Nigerians to embrace regular screening and early detection.

The call was made during a 5.4-kilometre cancer awareness walk organised by the Medicaid Cancer Foundation in Abuja, with the theme, “One Walk, One Fight – Walk Away Cancer.”

The Ministers of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmed, and the Federal Capital Territory, Maria Mahmoud, stressed that cancer could affect anyone, regardless of age or social status.

They said early detection remained critical to improving treatment outcomes and supporting patients and survivors.

Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, disclosed that the Federal Government had spent over one trillion naira on cancer control within the past year.

He said 350 billion naira was invested in establishing cancer centres, while more than 300 billion naira was spent on procuring cancer detection equipment.

The President of the Union for International Cancer Control, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, called for increased budgetary allocations to cancer prevention and treatment.

Similarly, the President of the Cancer Society of Nigeria, Professor Abidemi Omonisi, urged government and other stakeholders to provide greater support for cancer patients and survivors, noting that the high cost of treatment remained a major challenge.