The Nigerian Stock Exchange still needs about 73 percent of the funds required to purchase the country’s first free mobile cancer centre, business a.m’s investigation has revealed.
The cost of a mobile care centre, according to the committee encouraging corporate philanthropy in Nigeria, is estimated at $600,000, which amounts to about N216 million using the country’s current prevailing interest rate of N360 to $1.
With the NSE saving up about N57 million in funds for five years to purchase the first MCC through its annual “e-Race cancer” corporate challenge, more needs to be done in ensuring a speedy implementation of this vision.
Oscar Onyema, CEO of the NSE at the 2018 edition of the local bourse’s corporate challenge to raise awareness and funds explained that the cancer epidemic in Nigeria is huge and is set to rise if urgent actions are not taken to raise awareness about early detection of the disease, and to develop practical strategies to address the increasing cancer burden.
“Data from the rapid assessment of the prevention and control of cancer in Nigeria report by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), shows that cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 102,000 new cases annually,” he said.
According to Onyema who was represented by Tinuade Awe, the executive director, regulations, the NSE corporate challenge was birthed to minimise cancer and maximise life by stimulating additional awareness about cancer, advocating for the importance of early testing/detection and more importantly raising funds towards the purchase of mobile cancer centres to provide free screening and treatment in Nigeria.
The 5th edition of the NSE corporate challenge, which entails an annual 5km race in Lagos, however, attracted a healthy number of corporates who ran and contributed towards the cause.
In the keenly contested race, Austin Ani of Stanbic IBTC emerged the overall winner with a completion time of 18.45 minutes, after coming second in the 2017 edition. Paul Alabi of Aluko & Oyebode and Danladi Verheijen of Vetiva came second and third, finishing the race in 19.57 minutes and 20.04 minutes respectively.
Paul, who is also not new at the NSE corporate challenge, was the overall winner in the 2016 edition.
Ngozi Dozie-Madubiuke of Vetiva, with a completion time of 22.48 minutes, emerged the Fastest Female while Sadhisha Dave of PZ Cussons, also female, emerged the winner of the Senior Citizen category for runners aged 50 and above, with a race time of 29.10 minutes.
So far, the NSE Corporate Challenge has been highly successful, recording more than 2,500 runners from over 306 institutions, comprising c-suite level executives, top government officials and celebrities.
Celebrities such as Ali Baba,, MI Abaga, Burna Boy, Seyi Shay, Dolapo Oni-Sijuwade, Gideon Okeke, Debola Williams, Tina Mba, Simisola and Yung6ix, among others, have at some point thrown their weight behind this campaign to “e-Race Cancer” in Nigeria.
