Residents of Oke Apon/Yemetu in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State have benefited from a prostate cancer awareness outreach organised by the Oyenike Oyekan Foundation.
The awareness programme, held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Oke Apon/Yemetu Primary Health Centre, attracted elderly men, residents and members of staff of the health facility.
The outreach focused on educating participants about prostate cancer, its risk factors and warning signs, while emphasising the importance of regular medical check-ups and early detection in the fight against the disease.
Delivering the lead presentation, Managing Consultant of the Oyenike Oyekan Foundation, Nelson Ekujumi, said men aged 50 and above face an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, with the risk rising further with age.
Ekujumi identified age and family history as important risk factors, urging men, particularly those in the higher-risk age group, to take regular screening seriously.
He listed some warning signs that should prompt men to seek medical attention, including difficulty with urination, reduced force or flow of urine, blood in the urine or semen, as well as persistent back or bone pain.
According to him, regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and appropriate medical evaluation can help detect the disease early and improve treatment outcomes.
He also sought to dispel the fear often associated with a cancer diagnosis, stressing that prostate cancer should not automatically be regarded as a death sentence.
“It’s treatable and curable provided it’s detected early,” Ekujumi told the participants.
Also speaking, the Health Educator for Ibadan North Local Government Area, Mrs Funmi Pitan, urged participants to share the information gained from the programme with other members of their communities.
Pitan said increased awareness was essential to tackling the impact of cancer, noting that knowledge could encourage people to seek medical assistance early.
“When we are aware of the disease, we can seek help and combat it,” she said.
Some participants who spoke at the event commended the Oyenike Oyekan Foundation for taking the awareness campaign to the community.
They said the programme had provided them with useful information about prostate cancer, particularly an area of health about which many of them previously had limited knowledge.
The participants also called on other non-governmental organisations and relevant stakeholders to support similar community-based awareness initiatives as part of efforts to promote early detection and reduce the impact of prostate cancer.