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The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has urged Nigerian women to prioritise early detection of breast cancer, while expanding financial protection for insured patients facing the high cost of oncology treatment.

The call comes as the country joins the global community to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with the latest Nigeria-specific estimates putting annual new breast cancer cases at 32,278 and deaths at 16,332, according to the federal government and Nigerian cancer stakeholders from the Global Cancer Observatory.

Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Nigerian women and one of the country’s leading causes of cancer deaths.

The federal government also disclosed in July that Nigeria accounts for about 10.5 per cent of Africa’s cancer burden, placing the country among the three most affected on the continent.

NHIA, under its Director General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, is seeking to strengthen the role of health insurance as a buffer against the financial shock associated with serious illnesses.

For many families, the cost of comprehensive cancer care can quickly exceed household income, while treatment abroad remains beyond the reach of most Nigerians.

A key intervention is the expanded partnership between the NHIA and pharmaceutical company Roche, which is designed to reduce the cost of selected oncology medicines for eligible insured patients.

Under the arrangement, Roche absorbs 50 per cent of the cost of selected medicines, the NHIA contributes another 30 per cent, while the patient pays the remaining 20 per cent.

The cost-sharing structure effectively removes 80 per cent of the medicine cost from the patient’s direct financial burden, potentially making the difference between treatment being sustained and being interrupted for households already under economic pressure.

The authority had also introduced additional support for radiotherapy, ranging from up to N400,000 to full coverage for eligible patients, while maintaining benefits covering key cancer-related diagnostics.

These include mammography, CT and MRI scans, bone scans and laboratory investigations, alongside radiotherapy and other elements of cancer care covered under applicable benefit packages.

The broader package also provides for components of screening, surgery, chemotherapy and follow-up care, depending on the patient’s eligibility and the applicable insurance benefits.

For Ohiri, the interventions point to a shift in how the effectiveness of health insurance should be measured — away from enrolment figures alone and towards the extent to which coverage protects families when they face expensive illnesses.

He said, “The critical measure of the insurance system should no longer be the number of Nigerians carrying insurance records, but whether those records provide meaningful protection when illness strikes.”

Over 23 million Nigerians are currently enrolled in the national health insurance system, giving the NHIA a growing platform for scaling financial protection against cancer and other high-cost diseases.

The NHIA measures form part of the wider health reform agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

Cancer prevention and control have been elevated as national priorities under the administration’s health agenda, with the Federal Government implementing the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030.

The plan covers prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, as well as patient navigation, survivorship, research, data management and expansion of the oncology workforce.

The government is also upgrading six Oncology Centres of Excellence across the country. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, centres at the University College Hospital, Ibadan; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, are already fully operational, with specialised equipment including brachytherapy machines.

Other interventions include the Cancer Access Partnership programme, which provides 27 anti-cancer medicines in 48 formulations across 14 federal tertiary hospitals, as well as the Cancer Health Fund for indigent patients suffering from breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

Together, the measures are aimed at addressing different points along the cancer-care chain — from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment and financial protection.

But the NHIA said the interventions should be viewed as steps towards a broader response rather than a completed solution.

As breast cancer awareness month gets underway, the authority urged women to pay attention to unusual changes in their breasts, seek medical attention promptly and take advantage of screening opportunities where available.

It stressed that reducing Nigeria’s breast cancer burden would ultimately depend on detecting the disease earlier, expanding access to effective treatment and ensuring that the cost of care does not push patients and their families into financial distress.

Beyond the human toll, the disease can impose prolonged financial pressure on households, particularly when diagnosis comes late and treatment requires surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, specialised medicines and repeated diagnostic investigations.

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Senators from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, under the aegis of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), have called on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently reinforce security presence in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor following reported insurgent attacks in Adamawa State.

The senators also urged the authorities to adopt a unified and proactive strategy to tackle what they described as criminal enclaves in the area.

The call followed attacks which the NSF said occurred between the night of September 30 and October 1, 2026, targeting communities and military outposts in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, APC, Katsina Central, the senators expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones in the attacks.

They specifically mentioned three soldiers of the 232 Battalion in Garaha, a forest guard and civilians among those reportedly killed.

The senators also expressed concern over reports of abductions, destruction of property, burning of places of worship and the displacement of hundreds of residents from communities including Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku.

The forum said the reported attacks on the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha constituted a serious security concern for Adamawa State and the wider northern region.

The statement said: “The Northern Senators Forum stands in solidarity with the people of Adamawa State. By our collective efforts, you will not be abandoned to terrorists.”

The senators called on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to urgently reinforce security presence in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor and adopt a coordinated strategy to address the security situation.

They also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and other humanitarian agencies to urgently provide relief materials, medical assistance and trauma support to people displaced by the attacks.

The NSF further called on residents of Hong, Gombi and other parts of the country to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with actionable information.

The senators expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased and prayed for the restoration of peace in Hong, Gombi, Adamawa State and the wider northern region.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday flagged off the disbursement of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) in Katsina State, with more than 40,000 women set to benefit from business capital aimed at expanding enterprises, increasing household incomes and strengthening economic resilience.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina, the Vice President described the intervention as a strategic investment in the enterprise, productivity and economic potential of women, stressing that empowering women remains critical to Nigeria’s economic growth and poverty reduction efforts.

He said the beneficiaries had fulfilled the programme’s eligibility requirements through disciplined savings and active participation in Women Affinity Groups.

“Over 40,000 women in Katsina State stand to receive business capital, having fulfilled the prescribed eligibility conditions and demonstrated satisfactory performance in their savings and group activities,” Shettima stated.

The Vice President commended Governor Dikko Radda for placing women and vulnerable households at the centre of his administration’s development agenda, noting that inclusive governance is reflected in policies that create economic opportunities for those with limited access to finance.

He urged beneficiaries to invest the grants wisely, maintain proper financial records, sustain their culture of savings and uphold the collective responsibility that qualified them for the intervention. He also charged programme managers to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability throughout the disbursement process.

On his part, Radda described women’s economic empowerment as a key pillar of his administration’s Building Your Future Agenda, emphasising that investing in women translates into stronger families, more prosperous communities and a healthier state economy.

The governor said Katsina demonstrated exceptional commitment to the World Bank-supported programme by providing matching counterpart funding, enabling its expansion from the initial six Local Government Areas to all 34 LGAs across the state.

Radda explained that the Community Investment Fund would provide additional capital to complement women’s savings, helping beneficiaries establish new businesses, expand existing enterprises and strengthen productive economic activities.

He assured eligible Women Affinity Groups yet to receive their grants that the disbursement would continue in phases.

“Today’s flag-off marks the commencement of the disbursement process; it is not the conclusion of the process,” the Governor said.

Radda appealed to the World Bank and other development partners to provide additional financial and technical support to expand the programme’s reach, particularly to women in underserved communities.

He also highlighted the inclusion of women with hearing impairment who have formed their own Women Affinity Groups, describing it as evidence of the government’s commitment to ensuring that disability does not limit access to economic opportunities.

The governor further disclosed plans to explore sustainable economic empowerment programmes for men, noting that strengthening both women and men would contribute to stronger families, poverty reduction and community resilience.

World Bank representative Matthew Verghis described investment in women as an investment in Nigeria’s economic future, citing estimates that closing gender gaps in agriculture, self-employment and wage employment could add about 22.9 billion dollars, equivalent to 5.8 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Verghis said the 540-million-dollar Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up is currently being implemented across 32 states, targeting five million women directly, while supporting the creation of an estimated 4.5 million jobs.

He disclosed that women participating in the programme had already mobilised over ₦20 billion in savings, describing the achievement as clear evidence of financial discipline, trust and collective action.

The World Bank official particularly praised the Katsina State Government for matching every dollar invested in the programme with its own resources, a commitment that enabled the project’s expansion to all 34 Local Government Areas.

He urged banks, financial institutions and private sector organisations to see Women Affinity Groups as viable business partners capable of driving sustainable economic growth.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Aisha Malumfashi, said the programme had recorded remarkable progress in Katsina, with over 2,393 Women Affinity Groups established across Katsina and Daura Local Government Areas, while Funtua also recorded significant growth.

According to her, the groups have collectively mobilised more than ₦310 million in savings, reflecting increasing financial discipline, cooperation and economic self-reliance among women.

She urged beneficiaries to utilise the funds responsibly to expand their businesses and improve the welfare of their families and communities.

Following the ceremony, Vice President Shettima commissioned three major road projects executed by the Katsina State Government, including the dualised Kofar Sauri–Central Mosque Roundabout Road, Central Police Station Junction–Kofar Kaura Underpass Road, and the newly constructed Filin Polo–Ring Road.

He also inaugurated 30 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) hybrid buses and 200 Phase I electric tricycles, aimed at improving mass transportation and promoting cleaner energy solutions in the state.