Women in the FCT are set to benefit from a renewed focus on health awareness as the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat launched the 2025 Women’s Health and Advocacy Programme.
The programme, themed “Bridging Awareness Gaps on Breast and Cervical Cancer Among Local Women”, was organised in partnership with Julius Berger Services Nigeria and the Family Peace and Women Empowerment Initiative, FAPWEI.
Speaking at the event, the Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, described women’s health as a cornerstone of the current FCT Administration.
She emphasised that every woman’s life matters including the elderly, women with disabilities, the girl child, and unborn babies, warning that breast and cervical cancers remain leading causes of death among women in Nigeria despite being largely preventable when detected early.
She stated, “What kills women is not the disease itself, it is ignorance, late detection, stigma, silence, and lack of access to medical support.”
The campaign marks the start of a sustained outreach across the six area councils, 62 wards, and hundreds of communities in the FCT, aiming to increase access to free or low-cost screening services and continuous public education.
“Ignorance is too expensive. Silence is too costly. Fear is too deadly. Today, we choose knowledge, early discovery, and life.”
On her part, the Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer at Julius Berger Services Nigeria, Shakira Mustapha, thanked the organisers for the invitation and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to women’s health and community development.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Asmau Mukhtar, represented by Mr. Michael Dadip, Director of Administration and Human Resources, commended Julius Berger for its consistent support.
Deputy Director of the Women Department, Aina Sani, encouraged women to prioritise self-care and praised the collaboration between government, corporate Nigeria, and grassroots organisations. She said:
“Today we are handing the pen to the lionesses so that every woman can write her own story of health and survival.”
