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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been urged to facilitate the urgent rehabilitation and operationalisation of the International Cancer Centre, Abuja.
The appeal was contained in a letter addressed to the Office of the First Lady by constitutional and human rights lawyer, Ikenna Ahumibe, dated May 14, 2026.
Ahumibe said the initiative, originally conceived during the tenure of former First Lady, Turai Yar’Adua, should not be abandoned simply because it was not initiated under the current administration.
He stressed that history and statesmanship honour leaders who possess the courage, compassion and vision to complete projects that directly improve the lives of citizens, regardless of which administration initiated them.
According to him, Nigeria is currently facing a frightening cancer crisis, with recent reports indicating that about 125,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer annually, while approximately 79,000 deaths are recorded each year, including tens of thousands of women.
“Breast and cervical cancers remain among the leading causes of death among Nigerian women. Behind these statistics are mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and breadwinners dying slowly because access to quality cancer diagnosis and treatment remains beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
“Every day, families sell properties, exhaust life savings, or resort to public appeals just to keep loved ones alive for a few extra months. It is therefore heartbreaking that the International Cancer Centre, Abuja conceived years ago as a landmark intervention against this national tragedy has remained largely underutilised and unable to function at the level originally envisioned.
“A project that could have become one of the greatest medical legacies in Africa now stands as a painful symbol of abandoned national aspiration. History seldom immortalises leaders for temporary handouts distributed during difficult times; it remembers those who built enduring institutions that transformed lives for generations.
“This is why I respectfully urge you to rise beyond ceremonial philanthropy and intervene decisively in rehabilitating and fully operationalising the International Cancer Centre, Abuja. Nigerians do not merely need temporary palliatives; they need enduring healthcare infrastructure capable of saving lives for generations.
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“Your office is uniquely positioned to champion this cause. You can convene the federal government, private sector stakeholders, international health institutions, philanthropists and development partners to dismantle every bureaucratic, political, financial and administrative obstacle preventing the centre from functioning optimally,” he said.
He noted that if revived and properly funded, the facility could become a world-class oncology and research institution, a national hub for cancer screening and early detection, and a training ground for desperately needed cancer specialists across the country.
He further suggested that the initiative could be expanded into regional cancer centres across the six geopolitical zones, thereby reducing the need for Nigerians to seek treatment abroad or die due to lack of access to care.
“This is the kind of intervention that writes a name in gold in the conscience of a nation. You have an opportunity to be remembered as the First Lady who confronted Nigeria’s cancer emergency and gave hope to millions of vulnerable families.
“No mother battling breast cancer should die because a national cancer hospital was abandoned. No child should lose a parent because treatment was unavailable in a country blessed with enormous human and material resources,” he insisted.
