Sebeccly Cancer Care and Support Centre, in partnership with ACT Foundation and Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital, has launched the Naija Cancer Watch Fellowship, a 10-week programme aimed at strengthening media reporting on cancer in Nigeria.
The fellowship, inaugurated in Lagos as part of Sebeccly’s 20th anniversary activities, brings together 16 journalists and media professionals for intensive training on cancer science, treatment, survivorship and health communication.
The organisers said the programme was designed to help journalists translate complex medical information into accurate and accessible reports that can support prevention, early detection and better treatment outcomes while reducing stigma around cancer.
Omolola Salako, founder of Sebeccly Cancer Care, said the media remained critical to Nigeria’s efforts to address the cancer burden because stories published by journalists often influence how patients understand symptoms and make decisions about seeking treatment.
“This is a fellowship that is dear to our hearts. When we look at Sebeccly’s 20-year history since September 6, 2006, there are many programmes we have organised, and one of them is the Naija Cancer Watch,” Salako said at the fellowship bootcamp.
“We are going back to the origin, with this media professional programme as a priority, because we cannot win the fight against cancer without you. The stories we tell are what many cancer patients are listening to and making decisions from.”
Salako said late presentation remained a major challenge to cancer outcomes in Nigeria, adding that 70 percent of cancer patients seen in Nigerian hospitals in 2026 had presented late.
She said many patients had lived with symptoms for months or years before seeking appropriate medical care, underscoring the importance of accurate public information about cancer symptoms, screening and treatment.
The fellowship is also intended to deepen collaboration between journalists and key actors in the cancer ecosystem, including oncologists, researchers, government institutions, academics, civil society organisations and cancer survivors.
Ademola Oremosu, provost of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said cancer required a response that went beyond clinical intervention to include advocacy, public education and accurate media reporting.
“Cancer remains one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, demanding not just clinical intervention, but rigorous advocacy, accurate reporting, and public education,” Oremosu said.
He urged the fellows to use their platforms to challenge misinformation, amplify patients’ experiences and contribute to policy discussions around access and affordability of cancer care.
Suleiman Haruna, director of public relations at the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, said journalists had a direct role in shaping public understanding of cancer.
“Journalists are instruments of national cancer control. First of all, journalists serve as translators of scientific knowledge. Second, journalism shapes public perception. The stories that dominate headlines influence how the public understands disease,” Haruna said.
The fellowship curriculum covers cancer biology, the patient journey, innovations in cancer care, research and evidence, Nigeria’s National Cancer Control Plan, health communication, storytelling, philanthropy, misinformation, survivorship and the role of the media in shaping public understanding.
Ijeoma Ezenwere, team lead, communications and branding at ACT Foundation, said the organisation’s support for Sebeccly was focused not only on funding but also on strengthening the capacity of frontline organisations to sustain their impact.
“What we do, basically, is that we support other nonprofit organisations. We are also a nonprofit organisation ourselves, but we support others who are literally in the frontline doing the work,” Ezenwere said.
She said ACT Foundation’s partnership with Sebeccly had helped support free breast and cervical cancer screening programmes for women in different communities.
Sebeccly said it had trained more than 250 healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare centres on early cancer detection and supported breast cancer imaging, screening and community support programmes.
The organisation said its programmes had reached about 35,000 women in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and other communities, alongside hundreds of support group meetings involving cancer patients and survivors.
The launch builds on Sebeccly’s earlier media engagement initiatives. In 2012, the organisation conducted its first media training programme for journalists focused on cancer awareness and prevention.
The Naija Cancer Watch Fellowship forms part of activities marking Sebeccly’s 20th anniversary. Other planned activities include the P.O.W.E.R Conference on September 9, 2026, the launch of the KindGifts medical crowdfunding platform and the groundbreaking ceremony for the GIFTS of Survivorship Centre.
The fellowship also featured contributions from medical and media professionals including Kehinde Okunade, chairman-elect of the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos chapter; Adaorah Enyi, chief executive officer of Oncopadi Technologies; Ololade Kehinde, special adviser to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare on technical matters; Solomon Rotimi, professor of clinical biochemistry at Covenant University; Moremi Elekwachi, founder of Euphorique PR; and Oyomoare Osazuwa-Peters, assistant professor at Duke University School of Medicine.
Cancer survivors also participated in a panel session, sharing their experiences with the fellows as part of the programme’s focus on survivorship and patient-centred reporting.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
Follow the story
