Health
No scan machine as US-based Nigerian dies in push-and-start Teaching Hospital
The Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of The Source magazine, Comfort Obi, in this article, narrates how Nigeria’s chaotic health system, typified by the rot in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, led to the death of a United States-based Nigerian, Mr Olaleye Adenibuyan.On January 24, 2024, Nigeria lost a patriotic citizen. It lost Mr Olaleye Adenibuyan. He died in circumstances that, at once, confounded, broke the heart, and put a big question mark on Nigeria’s healthcare system. To not a few people, Adenibuyan’s death was avoidable if only the hospital where he died lived up to its assumed status of a teaching hospital.Let me confess upfront so you don’t accuse me of being deliberately emotional.
Adenibuyan was my cousin-in-law. A fine gentleman, he was married to my cousin, Thelma. And we admired and loved both of them “die”, as young people would put it. Theirs was a relationship built on a solid foundation; a partnership rooted in time. They loved wearing uniforms and pranced around like teenagers who just fell in love.
Adenibuyan had served his country, Nigeria, as a police officer before he relocated to the United States of America in 1989. But that relocation never stopped him from visiting his beloved country, his beloved Ondo State, and his more beloved community, Owo, two times every year. For him, it was a ritual. His love for Nigeria was that strong. And each time he visited, he bought more local fabrics for uniforms for himself and his beloved wife Thelma. In their local fabrics, they promoted Nigeria’s culture, and fashion.
So, this year, 2024, as usual, he set out from his Dallas, Texas, USA base for Nigeria and arrived Lagos on January 14, 2024. Each time he and his wife came home, either together, or separately, they usually checked into a hotel at Ajao Estate. The Estate is close to the Lagos Airport. For the Adenibuyans, it was convenient as it saved them from the punishing Lagos traffic (we call it go slow) to the airport for a flight to Akure, Ondo State, en route Owo.
So, on January 14, Mr Adenibuyan arrived Lagos and checked into the usual hotel. Luggage did not arrive from the US and so, he needed to buy some things from a shop opposite the hotel. That done, as he climbed up the staircase back to his room, the devil stepped in. Tragedy struck. He missed a step. And fell backwards.
As he fell, the family was told, he hit his head on the floor or wherever. The impact was grave. He lost consciousness. And was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital. I cannot confirm what attention he got there. His state was beyond what a small private hospital could handle. So he was quickly referred to the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
Established in 1961, LUTH is a tertiary hospital affiliated to the University of Lagos College of Medicine. It is a 761-bed hospital established to be a centre of medical excellence. To its credit are some of Nigeria’s best brains in medicine. Many of its products are those “making waves” worldwide. They were trained there. It used to be Nigeria’s pride. As were the University College Hospital, UCH, affiliated to the University of Ibadan, and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH, affiliated to the Obafemi Awolowo University, former University of Ife. And some more.
I don’t know about others, but LUTH has lost its status as a centre of medical excellence. It is now a shadow of itself; a shame to Nigeria. It has deteriorated. With Adenibuyan admitted there, we experienced, firsthand, the shadow LUTH has become. And our hearts broke.
The injury Adenibuyan sustained to the head needed urgent attention. It was a medical emergency. So, he was admitted to the intensive care unit – private wing, no less. Meaning the attention was expected to be top-notch. When one pays millions of naira, even as the naira has lost its value, the least one would expect would be first-class attention. But not here. There was nothing special. Patients were kept in what I choose to call “an open mini ward”. No privacy. No screen. When the question of some privacy was raised, the answer was: “It is because there is no general monitor.”
Once Thelma heard of her husband’s situation, she began to make arrangements to come home. She works in one of the biggest and best government-owned hospitals in Texas where she has risen to the position of director. So, once she was briefed on the prognosis, she knew she had to rush back to Nigeria. Her mission was to take her husband back with her to the USA once he was stable enough to fly.
Meanwhile, from the US, before she was able to secure a seat on a plane, she and the family rallied around to pay every kobo required, every kobo, directly and indirectly, demanded, officially or unofficially. No expense was spared.
But what did the family see at LUTH?
LUTH had no equipment. Nothing. After the millions of naira deposited, one still had to pay, separately, for soap and gloves. For a scan to determine the extent of damage to the head, Adenibuyan was taken to a private facility outside LUTH. Why? LUTH said its own scan machine was not in “a working condition.” A teaching hospital? The scan showed a lot of blood in the skull. Nothing was done. A couple of days later, LUTH declared triumphantly that the “bleeding has stopped”. The question we, as laymen, asked was: What about the blood already accumulated there? Our elementary understanding was that the blood “has caked there!” If true, we were nervous about the implication.
More surprises were afoot.
On January 17, three days after he was admitted, LUTH said Adenibuyan needed an intracranial pressure monitoring machine. But this teaching hospital does not have the machine. When needed, it was explained to us, it is rented from outside. Cost: N400,000. The family paid. But the machine was not delivered until January 19th. And when it was delivered, it was left by the corner of Adenibuyan’s bed for days, unused.
Perhaps, it was a coincidence, but the ICP monitoring machine was used only on the day Thelma arrived (24th) and began to ask questions. This was 10 days after he was referred to LUTH, and perhaps, 10 days after it should have been used.
Thelma arrived Nigeria at about 9.40 am on Delta Airlines and went from the airport to LUTH to see her husband. She waited for about three hours before she was allowed after which she incessantly requested to speak with his medical team. She wanted to know why the ICP had not been put in place as was revealed to her by Lekan, her stepson, who was in Nigeria for a short vacation, and her husband’s younger brother, Deji. She wondered why the machine was just lying down there. When one of the doctors finally arrived, he tried to explain. But given Thelma’s background, and where she came from, the explanation made no sense to her. She hinted so in many ways, but was, at once very disciplined and too distraught to argue. But finally, she was told another doctor who would do that was being expected.
The doctor, an unassuming guy, competent, calm, and collected finally arrived. We were sitting in the ICU waiting room when he walked past. Instinctively, and I guess, from his carriage, I knew he was the one, and I told Thelma so. She sent a message across that she would want to speak with him. Over an hour later, the doctor came out from the ICU and asked for Thelma. We followed him. And Thelma had a lot of questions and complaints. He listened, and said he had just returned to the country the previous day, and was seeing Adenibuyan for the first time, but quickly added “he is being attended to by a good team.” He explained to us where he thought he should, and apologised where he thought he should. For example, he agreed with Thelma that it was not right to intubate her husband without informing the family. He apologised it was wrong not to have carried the family along every step of the way. And then, calmly, he told us what the situation was, and the way forward.
He said Adenibuyan required an urgent surgery to release the pressure on the brain. He disclosed that the pressure was 61, far beyond the normal 15. This was what Thelma and Lekan consistently, subtly, suggested and appealed for a surgery to release the pressure to the brain. It would entail the removal of a part of the skull bone to allow the brain to swell and then, compress later to normal size. This should have been done, at most, three days after the unfortunate incident.Anyway, better late than never, we consoled ourselves.
The time for the surgery was set for 4.00 pm. But again, a problem.
LUTH does not have a drill. The family was told “There is only one place to rent it. Cost N200,000. No problem. This was on a Thursday. The surgery was meant to be done immediately. But the rental place said, “The drill is not available until Friday afternoon”. Another vendor was frantically sought. He agreed to N180,000 and promised to deliver it against the 4.00 pm surgery time. Great. Our spirit lifted some.
But another problem.
Unbelievably, LUTH does not have more than two functional surgery rooms. So, there is usually a queue. Adenibuyan had to wait. One doctor, obviously frustrated by the situation told us: “Today two are functional. Tomorrow, Friday, only one will be available.”
So, I asked why: He told us: “We have 22, but there is no manpower. Doctors, nurses, and technicians must have left. If the 22 are open, there will be nobody to man them. Nobody. So, why keep them open?” We were appalled. Our hearts sank. But we held onto hope.
So, either as a result of the queue, or the unavailability, yet, of the drill, the surgery was shifted from 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm. I left and told Thelma I would be back by7.00 pm. But just before5.00 pm when Thelma went in to see her husband again, his health had taken a nosedive. Even then, the man who hadn’t opened his eyes for 10 days, opened them once he heard his wife’s voice. She held his hands tight. “Baby, you know why I came. I came for you. We are going back together. I will put you on a flight. We go back together. Your treatment will be taken care of in the US. And, you will be perfect. We’ll be fine, you and I.” The three doctors Thelma met, and she told them the same thing. “I am going back with my husband. That’s my mission. To take him back to the US with me.”
That was not to be. While Thelma held his hands, and CPR was being performed on him, he gave up. He died in his wife’s arms.
Since Adenibuyan’s passing, too many questions remain unanswered about our country’s healthcare system. Take LUTH for instance.
It is not that there are still no qualified medical personnel, even with the exodus, but here is the problem. There is no medical equipment. The medical personnel are just managing, barely managing. Or, how does one explain that a teaching Hospital, LUTH, no less, does not have a functional scan machine,t have ICP monitoring machine, or the equipment for drill?
It is the shame of a country. As I said earlier, it is not the problem of the medical personnel. I admit that the work ethic of a number of them is zero. Compared to what we see in some other climes, they need a re-orientation. There is no sense of urgency. At times there is no empathy. But I also admit that their work environment is a major problem. It is not inspiring. I admit that their welfare is a major problem. It is depressing. I admit that knowing what to do, and not having the equipment to do it is frustrating. One of the doctors who spoke to us out of frustration said: “You are talking about the equipment. Where is the manpower? Because of our situation, most of us have left. A number of those remaining are on the verge of leaving.” When I asked if he was on his way out too, he gave a knowing smile. I helplessly shook my head.
Since Adenibuyan’s death, regrets have been our food. Many “ifs”. What if he hadn’t been referred to LUTH? Perhaps he would still have been with us. What if LUTH had used the ICP machine as at, and when due? Perhaps, he would still have been with us. What if the drill was used at the time it should have been used, perhaps he would still have been here with us. What if some sense of urgency had been exhibited, perhaps, he would still have been here with us.
The Federal Government shamelessly laments what negative effect the ‘’Japa’’ syndrome has had on Nigeria’s healthcare system. It shamelessly tells us that 42,000 nurses have left Nigeria in the past three years. Why not? How has the Federal Government treated them? What have you given them to work with? Now, shamelessly, it is putting obstacles here and there to stop nurses from leaving. Why? My response is in one word: Shame.
Isn’t it a shame that the Nigerian government, from state to Federal Government which throws money around as if it is going out of circulation, cannot boast of one good government hospital except Lagos State.? I am reliably informed that Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, affiliated with the Lagos State-owned Lagos State University, LASU, is very well equipped by the Lagos State Government. In our doubts at LUTH, one woman called us aside and asked: “Why did you come to LUTH? Why did you not take him to LASUTH? This type of injury is better handled there.”
We spend tons and tons of money, billions of dollars, trillions of naira, on frivolities, on things we can do without. How does one explain that $6.2m was spent, allegedly, without authorization, on foreign election observers when LUTH has no medical equipment? Of what use was the presence of the foreign observers to the masses? Did their presence stop us from rigging, from snatching ballot boxes, from doctoring results? Nigeria spent this money when LUTH had no medical equipment, not even a functional scan machine. How does one explain that the sum of N1bn was recently requested to enable a committee to fix workers’ salaries? Yet, our premier hospitals are empty. Can you imagine what that obscene request could have done for LUTH?
But back to Thelma. We don’t know how to handle her, or what to tell her. She is distraught. Disoriented, almost. Her mission to take her husband home to their “second country”, the US, blew up in her face. “Oh, your husband loved you to death. He waited for you to come back, to see you before he passed on. He even opened his eyes for the first time in 10 days once you arrived”, Thelma is told in a bid to console her. Where do all those leave her?
All she knows is that the Nigerian healthcare system failed her. Her mission to take her husband back to the US with her failed. She was, at a point, making inquiries for an air ambulance to evacuate him to the US. That failed. Ironically, what worked was taking him back to Owo in a body bag! Sad!!
Mr Adenibuyan, as your beloved wife fondly called you, may your soul rest in peace. May you find peace in the fact that you are finally, finally back to your cherished Owo.
No fewer than 20,966 Nigerian health workers relocated abroad within one year, according to official figures contained in the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025, obtained by Saturday PUNCH.
The mass exodus comprised 3,919 doctors, 7,487 nurses and midwives, 6,861 medical laboratory professionals, 702 pharmacists, 658 physiotherapists and hundreds of other healthcare specialists.
The growing migration came under the spotlight following the relocation of a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr Salamat Aliu-Ibrahim, to the United States.
Aliu-Ibrahim, a renowned neurosurgeon, now serves as Medical Director, Paediatrics, at Freeman Children’s Clinic, a facility under Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri.
Data obtained from the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council showed that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026.
According to the GMC register, 15,896 Nigerian-trained doctors are currently licensed to practise in the UK, comprising 9,664 males and 6,232 females.
However, President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, appealed to Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora to encourage more Nigerians abroad to return home and contribute to the country’s development, stressing that there is no place like home.
20,966 Nigerian Health Workers Migrated
An analysis of the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025 showed that only 60,551 of Nigeria’s 95,456 registered doctors currently hold active practising licences, representing 63 per cent. Only 51 per cent of licensed doctors are actively employed within Nigeria’s health system.
The nursing and midwifery workforce, Nigeria’s largest health profession, has also suffered substantial losses, recording the highest level of migration among health professionals.
Although Nigeria has 267,951 registered nurses and midwives, comprising 73,130 nurses, 21,031 midwives and 173,790 nurses with post-basic qualifications, only 113,123 currently hold active practising licences, representing an effective licensing ratio of 42 per cent.
Of those with active licences, 78 per cent remain employed in the country.
The report further showed that 658 physiotherapists have migrated, leaving only 852 of the country’s 8,642 registered physiotherapists with active practising licences.
Similarly, 21 occupational therapists have migrated, while only 11 of the 176 registered professionals currently hold active licences.
There are 257 registered occupational therapist assistants, but only 51 currently possess practising licences.
The report also showed that 431 optometrists have migrated abroad. Of the 6,975 registered optometrists, only 2,156 hold active practising licences, while 66 per cent remain employed locally.
Among opticians, only 307 of the 2,976 registered professionals currently hold practising licences, while 18 have migrated abroad.
UK, US, Canada, Saudi Arabia Top Destinations
The United Kingdom remains a leading destination for Nigerian health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, due to easier professional registration, better remuneration, structured specialist training and persistent workforce shortages within the National Health Service.
Although international recruitment has slowed since 2025, Nigeria remains one of the major source countries for overseas-trained nurses practising in the UK.
A breakdown of data obtained from the UK GMC register showed that 7,875 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise in the UK in 2020, rising to 9,976 in 2022.
In 2023, the number rose further to 12,198, making Nigeria the third-largest source of foreign-trained doctors in the UK, behind India, with 38,228 doctors, and Pakistan, with 27,739.
Figures from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council also showed a sharp rise in the number of internationally educated nurses and midwives on its register, driven largely by recruitment from countries including Nigeria, India, Ghana and the Philippines.
According to the council, the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives in the UK has risen above 16,000.
Beyond the UK, the United States and Canada have also become increasingly attractive destinations for Nigerian healthcare professionals.
As of 2020, a total of 3,895 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise medicine in the US.
Australia has also intensified recruitment of overseas-trained doctors and nurses to address shortages in regional and rural health services, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to attract Nigerian healthcare professionals with tax-free salaries, subsidised accommodation and other employment benefits.
The Enugu State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has sealed four private health facilities in Enugu North Local Government Area for operating without valid licences and failing to meet regulatory requirements.
The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Chidiogo Ugodu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu, noting that the enforcement action was carried out on July 8.
According to the statement, the ministry has intensified the monitoring and supervision of private health facilities across the state to ensure quality healthcare delivery and strict compliance with regulatory standards.
The renewed enforcement exercise was initiated by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu.
As part of the exercise, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Chinyere Ezeudu, led a team of senior ministry officials on an unscheduled inspection of private health facilities in Enugu North LGA.
The ministry explained that the exercise was aimed at ensuring that all private hospitals and healthcare providers operating in the state comply with statutory requirements, including the renewal of operating licences and the registration of facilities yet to be captured by regulatory authorities.
During the inspection, the team visited seven private health facilities, assessing their operational status, licensing documentation, and compliance with established healthcare standards. Four of the facilities were subsequently sealed for regulatory violations.
Speaking on the exercise, Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government, under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, to protecting residents by ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and quality healthcare services.
He stressed that the monitoring and enforcement exercise would continue across the state to ensure that only duly registered and licensed healthcare facilities operate.
Ugwu also urged operators of private health facilities to regularise their operations by renewing expired licences and registering facilities that are yet to be approved.
“The ongoing monitoring exercise is not only a regulatory measure but also a critical step towards strengthening the health system and safeguarding the lives of citizens,” he said.
The latest enforcement follows a similar operation carried out a few weeks ago, during which the Ministry of Health sealed three illegal health facilities in Enugu South Local Government Area for operating without valid licences.
Elder statesman and former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, has commissioned the newly renovated and re-equipped Neonatal and Special Babies Ward at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Parklane, Enugu.
The commissioning formed part of the activities marking the 2026 Children’s Day celebration which was attended by top government officials, healthcare professionals and stakeholders in the health sector.
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, commended the intervention and described it as a major boost to healthcare delivery and neonatal care in the state.
He also praised the former governor for coming out to honour the unveiling of the project despite his busy schedules, saying his love for the people of the state would continue to resonate with the administration.
The project, which was facilitated through the Cecilia Oyebola Foundation founded by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Health, Dr. Yomi Jaye, was equipped with modern incubators, infusion and syringe pumps, phototherapy equipment, autoclave machines, baby monitoring devices and upgraded nursing facilities aimed at improving neonatal care and reducing infant mortality.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Mbah during the ceremony, Prof. Onyia lauded Dr. Jaye for his dedication and personal sacrifice towards advancing healthcare delivery in Enugu State.
According to him, the intervention reflected the culture of service and collective responsibility encouraged by the Mbah administration, where public officials contribute beyond their official responsibilities towards the development of the state.
He described Dr. Jaye, who also marked his 51st birthday, as a committed and exemplary public servant whose dedication continued to strengthen confidence in the administration’s healthcare transformation agenda.
Prof. Onyia further stated that the Mbah administration had transformed ESUT Teaching Hospital from the condition it met in 2023 into a modern and rapidly improving medical institution capable of competing with leading healthcare facilities across the country.
He reiterated the commitment of Governor Mbah’s administration to building a world-class healthcare system through sustained investments in infrastructure, equipment and manpower development.
Performing the commissioning and ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside his wife, Dr. Patricia Nwobodo, Senator Nwobodo expressed admiration over the quality of facilities installed at the neonatal ward.
He praised the governor for what he described as unprecedented transformation in the health sector and insisted that the governor deserved overwhelming support for re-election in 2027.
According to the former governor, the facilities and standards at the ward compared favourably with what is obtainable in advanced countries, stressing that the development further demonstrated that the current administration was delivering tangible results across critical sectors.
In his remarks, Dr. Yomi Jaye explained that the project was inspired by his lifelong commitment to children’s welfare and dedicated to the memory of his late mother, who was a teacher.
He disclosed that the renovated ward was designed in line with modern infection prevention protocols critical to newborn survival, recalling the painful loss of his almost twin brother due to infection-related complications.
Dr. Jaye noted that the intervention aligned with Governor Mbah’s vision of transforming healthcare delivery through preventive and patient-centred care, adding that ongoing investments in hospitals, primary healthcare and medical training had continued to reposition Enugu as a leading healthcare destination.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of ESUTH Parklane, Prof. Bethrand Ngwu, expressed gratitude to Governor Mbah and Dr. Jaye for their interventions and support towards improving healthcare services in the hospital.
He stated that the administration’s investments had significantly improved healthcare delivery and staff morale, assuring that the newly installed facilities would be properly maintained and maximally utilised for the benefit of newborns and other vulnerable patients requiring specialised care.
In 2024, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, revealed that Nigeria had about 55,000 licensed doctors.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Pate disclosed that no fewer than 16,000 doctors had left the country in the past five years, while about 17,000 others had been transferred out of active service.
Worrisomely, a new revelation by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, indicates that the number of practising doctors in Nigeria has declined from 55,000 to 40,000 within just one year.
In his presentation at a one-day leadership dialogue in Lagos themed “Strengthening PHC Systems: A Joint Leadership Dialogue,” Abayomi identified manpower shortage as one of the most critical challenges facing the health sector.
The dialogue, organised by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board with support from development partners, addressed barriers hindering PHCs from meeting expectations and proposed practical solutions for building sustainable PHCs with lasting impact.
Abayomi stated that Lagos currently has only 7,000 doctors serving an estimated 30 million residents, far below the number needed for optimal care delivery.
The commissioner raised concerns over the acute shortage of health workers in the state, disclosing that the state requires an additional 33,000 doctors to meet the healthcare demands of its growing population.
“Nigeria currently has about 40,000 doctors against an estimated need of 300,000, while Lagos alone requires about 33,000 doctors but has only about 7,000,” he said.
According to him, Lagos’ doctor-to-population ratio remains far below what is required for optimal healthcare delivery, noting that the state’s doctors are serving an estimated population of nearly 30 million people.
To address the shortfall, Abayomi said the state government is investing in its newly established University of Medicine and Health.
“Within five years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers annually, including laboratory scientists and other essential cadres,” he stated.
The mass exodus of healthcare professionals popularly known as japa syndrome, especially doctors, nurses, and pharmacists has remained a major concern in Nigeria.
A 2017 survey conducted by a Nigerian polling organisation in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch revealed that about 88 per cent of Nigerian doctors were seeking job opportunities abroad at the time.
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, recently warned that Nigeria has moved beyond passive brain drain and has become a direct recruitment hub for foreign governments seeking skilled medical professionals.
In an interview, Audu revealed that international recruiters now visit Nigeria to directly hire doctors—particularly specialists such as obstetricians, gynaecologists, and paediatricians—offering them superior working conditions, remuneration, and infrastructure.
He lamented that while Nigeria’s population continues to grow and mortality rates remain high, the country is losing specialists at an alarming rate.
“Many of our doctors are not even going abroad to look for jobs. Foreign governments now come into Nigeria to pick doctors and take them away,” Audu said.
“We are still having more births, yet maternal deaths remain high because the skilled birth attendants who should care for these women are reducing every day.”
Audu added that in some specialties, the number of Nigerian doctors practising abroad may already exceed those still working within the country, a situation worsened by the government’s failure to significantly improve doctors’ welfare despite existing policy frameworks.
Experts have warned that with the current pace of emigration, it would be impossible for Nigeria to produce enough health workers to meet its growing healthcare demands. They estimate that it would take at least 20 years to train the over 400,000 health workers required to close the gap.
A former President of the NMA, Prof. Mike Ogirima, described Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio as “horrible,” noting that the country currently has about one doctor to 8,000 patients—far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients.
Nigerian health communication researcher, Ifesinachi Ayogu, has attributed the rising number of cancer-related deaths in the country to the neglect of routine self-breast examination among women and routine Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing among men.
Ayogu told journalists on Monday that the failure to prioritise regular screening had contributed significantly to late detection of breast and prostate cancers, which are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria.
He said many cancer cases were only discovered when the disease had reached advanced stages, making treatment more complex and survival chances lower.
According to him, the increasing burden of cancer deaths calls for a more intentional and sustained approach to cancer awareness, early detection, and preventive health behaviour.
“Early detection saves lives, but many people are not practising simple, routine screening that could help detect cancer early,” Ayogu said.
He noted that breast cancer and prostate cancer were often manageable when detected early, but ignorance, fear, stigma, and limited awareness continued to discourage people from carrying out regular checks.
The researcher explained that self-breast examination allows women to notice unusual lumps or changes early, while routine PSA testing helps detect prostate abnormalities before symptoms become severe.
Ayogu said deaths resulting from breast and prostate cancers were often preventable, stressing that delayed diagnosis was a major factor contributing to high mortality rates.
He added that many Nigerians still lacked basic information on how to conduct self-breast examinations, when to go for PSA tests, and where to seek appropriate medical care.
The health communication researcher emphasised the need for community-based education, especially in rural areas, using trusted platforms such as churches, markets, women’s groups, and radio programmes to promote routine screening practices.
He also urged healthcare providers and public health institutions to intensify public education on cancer prevention and ensure that screening information was simple, accurate, and accessible.
Ayogu advised individuals with a family history of breast or prostate cancer to be particularly vigilant about routine screening and healthy lifestyle practices.
He stressed that promoting routine self-breast examination and PSA testing would play a critical role in reducing late presentation and improving cancer survival outcomes in Nigeria.
Ifeshinachi Ayogu is a PhD graduate student, at the University of Oklahoma United States of America, his core interest is cancer communication, according to him, he believes that the next breakthroughs in cancer care for Nigerian women and men will not come from medicine alone.
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