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Medical Outreach: Prioritise Primary Health Care policies-Pastor Ikotun Urges Government

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Joel Ajayi 


Resident Pastor of the Elevation Church Abuja, Pastor Bowale Ikotun, has urged the government to establish more primary health care centre to strengthen its policies in various communities, to be able to attend to health emergencies in the community.


He made this call on Saturday during a free medical outreach, organised by the Elevation Church Abuja and PISTIS Foundation, known as UBOMI Project Abuja, which took place at Jabi Lake Park Abuja.


Pastor Ikotu, said that the purpose of organising the outreach is to meet the needs of the community and help residents acquire free medical services.


“We all know what is  going on currently in Nigeria, where the cost of even Primary Health Care has gone up out of the reach of the common man, and so as a church, God has put in our hearts to be a blessing to our community”.


“So one of the ways in which we are a blessing to the community is to organize doctors, nurses within us and friends amongst us to come and do free medical consultation, most importantly in the primary health care area of health.”


He further urged other religious organisations, non governmental organisations to try to organise outreach that adds to the wellbeing of individuals in the community in order to support the government.


“The truth of the matter is that the government cannot do it alone, and that is why, we as  a church, we are coming up to assist the Government in whatever way we can “.”So I encourage a lot of other religious organizations to be part and parcel of this”.


Head of partnership for the UBOMI Project Abuja Mr Davidson Amedu, said the Elevation Church Abuja is expressing the love of God through the UBOMI Project.


“We are partnering with Pistis Foundation, which is a registered organization under the Elevation Church to enable tye Church help people with medical solutions. 


“We understand the health situation of the country. Not everybody right now can afford medical supplies. In fact, there is also a short supply of medical experts in the country right now, and the few that are available, very scarce,  to even the average middle class person, talk more of the underserved and the underprivileged.”


“So we decided to bridge the gap to create such a project that intervenes, that steps in to give medical solutions, ranging from diagnosis to counseling to consultation to medical and  pharmaceutical supplies itself, all for free. Nobody is paying a dime here”.


“This is our way of saying God loves you, God wants you to be well. Not everybody’s level is fit to the point where they can do without medicine, and saying I trust God for healing or divine health”. 


“We pray for people, we administer healing, but we still believe that medicine has its role, place and position in humans life so we are able to help people move from wherever they are medically to a more balanced and more healthy disposition.”
He also expressed that this is the first edition of UBOMI Project in Abuja but it’s going to have other edition to come in the near future.


“The Elevation Church has its headquarters in Lagos, and we’ve donbe series of UBOMI Project editions, where we cater for 1000s of people.”
” In Lagos, we even do surgeries, we do major operations, but this is the first we are doing in Abuja, and it is not going to be the last, obviously, because we have  seen that there is a gap.”


 “There is a huge gap in even accessing medical supplies and medical solutions are even more expensive in abuja. So we want to be able to, deliver some of these solutions to people for free.”
 “look out for more editions of this project across the Country and in other parts of Africa, we will do much more to the glory of God” he added.


Executive Director, Pistis Foundation, Mr  Leanord F-Thomas,  said that Ubomi Project is taking a hospital to a community,  with medical experts, from different parts of the country and volunteers to serve for a certain period.


He said the UBOMI medical outreach is structured to work with social and governmental organisations to provide data of advocacy, preventive healthcare risk.


He further express that the data gathered enables them to know the highest cases of illness in the community and ways to prefer solutions to those cases.


“So those data are gathered, it helps us to know, for example, you know, how many cases of malaria in a certain community, how many cases of diabetes are in a certain community? Not only do we treat the cases during the outreach, we’re able to profile solutions”.


“So we are here to support whatever it is that the government has established to address the ills in society.”

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APC Youth Leader, Health Minister, Others Champion “Going Pink Walk” for Breast Cancer Awareness in Abuja

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Joel Ajayi

It was a vibrant gathering of energetic young men and women across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday in Abuja, as they joined the “Progress in Pink Walk”, a non-competitive awareness march organized by the All-Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Wing to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The event, themed “Walk for Hope, Walk for Life,” was commenced at The Nest — A Place Where Greatness is Hatched, an over 4 kilometres walk aimed at encouraging early detection, promoting timely medical intervention, and offering hope to those affected by breast cancer.

Leading the walk was the APC National Youth Leader, Dr. Dayo Israel, who has remained consistent in championing initiatives that promote youth empowerment, health consciousness, and community impact.

Over the years, Israel has spearheaded several programs designed to enhance the capacity and wellbeing of young Nigerians.

Globally, October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a period dedicated to increasing awareness, encouraging prevention, and supporting those battling the disease. The APC Youth Wing’s initiative aligns with this global campaign, demonstrating the party’s ongoing commitment to public health advocacy and youth-driven change.

Speaking after the walk, an elated Dr. Dayo Israel explained that the initiative was organized to create awareness among women, both young and old, on the importance of knowing their bodies and seeking medical attention early.

“We want women to know their breasts so well that if anything unusual happens, they act quickly.

“Cancer doesn’t occur overnight it develops over time. awareness, and early detection are key to saving lives,” he said.

He added that the walk also sought to promote fitness as a vital component of a healthy lifestyle and to encourage women to adopt positive habits that support their wellbeing and happiness.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako commended the APC Youth Wing for taking proactive steps to raise awareness about a critical health concern.

“With this step you have taken today, more Nigerians will become aware of the dangers of late detection.

“Unfortunately, eight to nine out of ten breast cancer cases in Nigeria are detected late — a situation we must change through constant awareness and screening,” he said.


He emphasized the importance of prevention, urging Nigerians to take their health seriously through regular check-ups, healthy living, and avoidance of risk factors like smoking.

Also speaking, the President and CEO of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, noted that breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in Nigeria, accounting for up to 40–50% of all cancer cases.

“Breast cancer remains a major public health challenge. Exercise plays a vital role not only in prevention but also in improving outcomes for people living with cancer and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension,” he said.

Prof. Omonisi stressed the need for a community-based response to cancer similar to the national efforts used to combat HIV/AIDS.

“We must involve everyone  from schools and youth groups to community organizations  to build resilience and eliminate the fear and stigma surrounding cancer,” he added.

He praised the APC Youth Wing for leading the charge, noting that young people, with their creativity and innovation, are uniquely positioned to drive impactful awareness campaigns both online and offline.

The “Progress in Pink Walk” concluded with participants pledging to continue spreading the message of early detection, regular screening, and healthy living underscoring that together, Nigerians can defeat breast cancer through awareness, unity, and action.

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