04/02/2025
CANCER DAY 2025: UNITED BY UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
....HONOURING A LEGACY, FIGHTING FOR A FUTURE
It was 2022. I remember exactly where I was—driving out of an African store in Hyattsville, Maryland—when the call came. That call shattered the fragile hope we had nurtured for 15 years. The cancer had returned.
Months later, I walked into a cancer hospital in Victoria Island, and the weight of that reality pressed down on me. My mother lay in a two-bed room. The woman beside her, likely in her forties, writhed in agony, her cries piercing the air as nurses fought to ease her suffering. It was end-stage cancer.
My mother, ever composed, reached for my hand. She looked into my eyes, searching for the certainty I had always given her. “Ossy, will I survive this?”
For years, I had been her pillar—the one who researched, sought solutions and found a way. I wanted to tell her yes, to assure her with the confidence she had always known in me. But she saw through me. She saw the hesitation as I said, "Yes, you will survive it."
She smiled gently and said, “I want to go home.” That was the day she died. She lost hope and the will to fight on.
Months later, on April 3, 2023, at 11:00 p.m., I received the call. She had departed this life. I cried because I thought cancer had won.
But what I did not realise then was that she was not gone—she had merely transitioned to immortality.
Every time I look at the picture of us together—on my 30th and 50th birthdays—I am reminded of the depth of her love and the strength of her spirit. Frozen in time, those moments tell a story of devotion, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son. It was her belief in me that shaped who I am, and it is her legacy that fuels the work we do today.
Today, as I moved from the Ministerial Press Briefing at the Federal Secretariat to the Free Medical Screening at FMC Jabi, then to Transcorp Hilton for a symposium by Project Pink Blue, I smiled. I smiled because Nneka Chidoka lives. She lives in every woman we screen, in every life we touch, and in every battle we fight against this relentless disease.
This year’s World Cancer Day theme reminds us that we are united by our unique experiences. My mother's journey has bound me to a cause far greater than grief. It has bound me to action.
We took our advocacy to the National Assembly and partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health, NICRAT, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye and her team at Breast Without Borders, and many others. Together, we reached over two thousand women with screenings and provided interventions for over sixty women who had nowhere else to turn—all because Nneka Chidoka lived.
At the Nneka Chidoka Outreach Program (NCOP), we have made significant strides in providing cancer care, but there is much more to be done. In 2025, we are focused on:
✅ Expanding free cancer screenings across 8 states to ensure early detection and timely interventions.
✅ Support the FMoH in Transforming the Cancer Health Fund into a Catastrophic Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) for affordable cancer treatment.
✅ Supporting the completion of 6 Centers of Excellence to provide world-class oncology care in Nigeria.
✅ Advocating for increased cancer funding at the National and State levels to ensure sustainable treatment programs.
✅ Strengthening partnerships with NICRAT and the Ministry of Health to drive systemic change in cancer care.
These are not just ambitions—they are commitments that would be tracked and reported.
When you contributed towards my mother’s funeral, I made a promise: that the funds would not be used for 21 or 30 years whiskey, crystal champagne or any expensive drinks. Instead, two years later, that promise continues to fuel a movement—one that is saving lives, restoring hope, and giving strength to those in the fight of their lives.
At the Nneka Chidoka Outreach Program we stand united with every advocate, every survivor, and every grieving family.
The story of our advocacy—our journey, impact, and vision for 2025—is captured in “Bridging Gaps, Saving Lives”, a document highlighting our iron-clad commitment to bringing governments, corporations, and individuals together to fight cancer. We share it with you today, not just as a record of what we have done but as an invitation to join us in this fight.
As we mark this year’s World Cancer Day, may it ignite a renewed commitment, inspire stronger policies, and deepen our collective compassion. May we fight harder, love fiercely, and never stop believing in a world where fewer families have to endure the loss we have known.
Together, we can transform grief into action. We can turn pain into purpose. We can shape challenges into change.
For Nneka. For every warrior. For a future free of cancer’s grip.
Osita Chidoka
February 4, 2025
