The Oyo State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Oyo State Coalition Against Cancer, has sensitised female secondary school students in Ibadan on breast cancer awareness, early detection and prevention as part of activities marking the 2026 Pink October campaign.
The programme, held on Thursday, October 15, at Oba Akinbiyi Model College, Mokola, Ibadan, featured lectures, practical demonstrations on self-breast examination and questionnaires to assess the students’ knowledge of the disease.
Participants included officials of the state Ministry of Health, members of the coalition, medical professionals, teachers and students from selected secondary schools across Ibadan.
The school’s principal, Mrs A. M. Adebanji, welcomed participants and commended the organisers for choosing the institution to host the programme. She urged the students to become ambassadors in the fight against cancer by sharing the knowledge acquired with their peers and families.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Director of Public Health Services, Dr Akintunde Babatunde, appreciated the ministry and coalition partners for working together to educate young people about breast cancer.
He described the initiative as a collective effort to confront a major public health challenge through early awareness and education.
In her presentation, the Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Beatrice Adeoye, explained breast cancer, its symptoms and risk factors, while demonstrating how to perform self-breast examination.
She advised the students to seek medical attention if they noticed lumps in their breasts or surrounding areas, including the armpits, changes in breast colour or nipple discharge unrelated to breastfeeding.
“Not all lumps are cancerous, but when you see any lump in your breast or its surroundings, including the armpit, or changes in its colour or discharge from the nipples when you are not breastfeeding, go to the nearest hospital for examination,” Adeoye said.
Dr Foluke Sarimiye, Chairperson of the Nigeria Cancer Society, Oyo State Chapter, and a consultant oncologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, emphasised that early detection was critical to successful cancer treatment.
She reassured the students that cancer was not a death sentence, citing survivors of breast cancer and other forms of the disease she had encountered during her medical career.
Sarimiye also urged the students to practise what they had learnt and stressed the importance of regular breast health assessments. She outlined different recommendations for breast examination across age groups, including self-awareness and clinical assessment, as well as mammography for older women.
Another coalition representative, Princess Seyi Oyewale of Amen Houston Hospital and Fertility Medical Centre, noted that breastfeeding could reduce the risk of breast cancer among women.
She encouraged the students to confide in their mothers, aunties, female teachers and school counsellors whenever they noticed unusual changes in their breasts or bodies.
Other coalition representatives who delivered goodwill messages included Nelson Ekujumi of the Oyenike Oyekan Foundation and Promise Ihezie of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria.
They urged the students to disseminate the information in their schools and communities to expand awareness of breast cancer and encourage early medical intervention.
At the end of the lectures, the students completed questionnaires designed to assess their understanding of the presentations. Their responses during the question-and-answer session demonstrated their grasp of the issues discussed.
Speaking after the event, Mrs Christiana Adedeji, focal person and head of the Non-Communicable Disease Desk at the Oyo State Ministry of Health, expressed appreciation to the ministry and coalition partners for making the programme successful.
She called for increased collaboration with non-governmental organisations to strengthen interventions across other areas of public health.
Some resource persons and students also commended the organisers for targeting adolescent girls, describing early education and awareness as important steps towards strengthening the fight against breast cancer.