Ikeja Club Champions Cancer Awareness with Free Medical Outreach for Lagos Residents
In a bold move to tackle the growing burden of cancer, the Ikeja Club has extended a lifeline to residents of Lagos State through a free medical outreach that screened about 200 people for different types of cancer.
The outreach, held at the club’s premises, offered prostate cancer tests to 100 men and breast and cervical cancer screenings to 100 women, ensuring that both men and women from underserved communities had access to life-saving examinations that they might otherwise not afford.
Speaking at the event, Musediq Adeleke, President of the Ikeja Club, explained that the initiative was born out of a passion to reach the less privileged who are often left behind in the fight against cancer. He stressed that the government alone cannot shoulder the enormous responsibility of combating the disease, hence the need for partnerships with community groups and private organizations. Adeleke further assured that the club would not abandon participants who may test positive but would support them in accessing the care and treatment they need.
Representing the Lagos State Government, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, highlighted the life-saving role of early detection. *“The earlier you detect a problem, the easier it is to nip it in the bud,” he said, urging Nigerians to embrace regular health checks as a way to reduce both mortality rates and financial burdens on families.
The outreach also carried a deeply personal story. Ikeja Club’s Vice President, Abayomi Akinomoyinmi, revealed that he lost both his father and maternal grandfather to prostate cancer, a tragedy that has fueled his determination to raise awareness and push for preventive measures. According to him, consistent cancer awareness and regular screening could save countless lives, and he hopes to make the outreach an annual program.
For many beneficiaries, the event was more than just a medical exercise, it was a blessing. 67-year-old Comfort Samuel, one of the screened participants, praised the club’s generosity, saying the initiative is especially helpful for the elderly who often struggle with healthcare costs.
Echoing the well-known saying *“health is wealth,” the Deputy Coordinator of the program, Elijah Osibajo, emphasized that preventive health checks are critical in reducing avoidable deaths and improving community wellbeing.
The outreach ended on a note of hope, with participants expressing gratitude and the club promising to sustain the fight against cancer. The Ikeja Club’s gesture not only created awareness but also sent a clear message: cancer may be deadly, but with early detection, community support, and access to care, it can be fought and lives can be saved.