By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has marked the 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a sensitisation programme aimed at promoting early detection, prevention and regular screening among officers and stakeholders.
The programme, held on October 6 at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, was themed “Inspect, Detect, Protect” and brought together Customs officers, medical professionals and partners to strengthen the fight against breast cancer.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Information and Communication Technology and Modernisation, Oluyomi Adebakin, urged officers to prioritise their health, stressing that cancer should not be regarded as a stigma or the end of life.
Adebakin said sustained education and sensitisation were critical to promoting early detection and effective management of the disease.
The President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), Mrs Kikelomo Adeniyi, who was the Special Guest of Honour and keynote speaker, urged officers, particularly women, to conduct regular self-examinations and seek timely medical attention.
“Fellow officers, you must be alive before you get promoted. Check on yourself,” she said, while reminding male officers that breast cancer can also affect men and urging them to support women in their families and communities.
The Project Manager of the BOYA Project, Fauziya Abubakar, said the initiative had promoted breast cancer awareness within the NCS for three years, stressing the need for sustained sensitisation and regular screening.
A major highlight of the programme was a ₦50 million pledge by the Managing Director of Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Dr Jummai Umar-Ajijola, towards supporting the fight against breast cancer.
Umar-Ajijola urged participants to apply the same diligence they demonstrate in Customs operations to their personal health, encouraging them to ask questions and seek medical attention whenever necessary.
The event featured a health talk, medical session, survivor testimony and question-and-answer segment, before culminating in free breast cancer screening for officers and participants.
