By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Sports Club, popularly known as Team Humanitarian, emerged 3rd Best Kitted among the various groups from across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and received Certificate of Merit and Trophy at the October 2025 Edition of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA) monthly Keep-Fit and Aerobics Exercise.
Organised by FEPSGA in conjunction with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HSOF), the event which took place at the weekend was part of activities marking the October 2025 FEPSGA Keep-Fit Exercise and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The federal government, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, took advantage of the the occasion to launch the Cancer Awareness Campaign and Free Screening for public servants at the event.
In her keynote address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack said the campaign was not just about exercise, but a declaration that the Nigerian workforce was choosing “health, life, and hope”.
“Without health, there is no service. Without health, there is no progress,” stressing that a healthy and resilient civil service is critical to driving the national development agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Represented by Mrs Patience Nwakuso Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office-OHCSF, Walson-Jack noted that many public servants have been lost to cancer, often due to late diagnosis.
She therefore urged workers to take advantage of the free screening exercise for the various types of the disease including breast and cervical cancer screening for women, as well as prostate cancer screening for men.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, said government is tackling the menace of cancer in Nigeria as it launches awareness campaign and free screening for public servants.
The Permanent Secretary described the cancer campaign as “epoch-making,” pointing out that Nigeria records over 127,000 new cancer cases annually, with breast cancer accounting for about 24 percent.
She lamented that more than 80 percent of cancers in Nigeria are diagnosed at advanced stages, compared to developed countries where screening and early detection lead to better survival rates.
“The disparity is clear, while developed countries have higher incidence, low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria have higher mortality because of poor screening culture. This is why we must act,” she explained.
Daju Kachollom reiterated the commitment of the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health to continue to lead the fight against cancer and other diseases in line with the renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
“I make bold to say that today’s event is not just one off, it is just the beginning of our aggressive campaign for cancer prevention and early detection in Nigeria.
As the chairman of the Technical Aession of the National Council on Health, I will be leading the conversation for the state governments to set up state cancer control programmes at the fort-coming National Council on Health to ensure establishment of routine cancer screening programmes at the sub-national levels. This will enhance cancer prevention and control in every part of the country.”
“Cancer is real, it is ravaging, and it is here with us. The cheapest and most effective response is prevention through lifestyle modification and regular screening. Early detection saves lives,” she said.
The screening exercise covers breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancers, as! well as general checks for body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, and hepatitis B and C, which are linked to liver cancer. Breast and cervical screenings are to be carried out at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, while other tests were conducted on site at the stadium.
Also speaking at the event, Comrade Amaebi Aloku, National President of FEPSGA, expressed his delight at the impressive turnout.
He thanked the federal government, permanent secretaries, directors, sports managers, and all MDA participants for their unwavering support, announcing that the 2025 FEPSGA Games will be held in November and looked forward to the participation of official federal government delegates.
The sports manager of Team Humanitarian, Mr Kazeem Adewale Adenekan, extended his gratitude to the ministry’s leadership for making the team’s participation possible.
He also applauded team members for their resilience and commitment.
“Despite the weather, Team Humanitarian stood firm and remained unstoppable. He said Team Humanitarian wpuldcontinue to make the minister, permanent secretary, and the staff proud.
The sports fiesta featured fitness sessions, aerobics, awareness talks by medical experts and, various award categories ranging from Early Arrival, Best Kitted, Highest Attendance and Best Behaved MDAs.