In July of the previous year, 12-year-old Rekiya Dalhatu discovered two significant aspects of her future. Firstly, she realized that she would eventually serve as a medic in the Nigerian army. Secondly, she learned that she would not, unlike many women from her mother’s generation, become a victim of cervical cancer.

These insights came to her simultaneously. While returning home with her mother, Habibat, on a particularly warm afternoon, they encountered members of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) near the 1 Battalion Dukku Barracks in Birnin Kebbi. Accompanied by well-dressed military medical personnel, the officers’ wives captured Dalhatu’s interest, leading her to quickly decide on her career path.

Dalhatu and her mother engaged in conversation with the military representatives. It was their first exposure to the topic of cervical cancer, which ranks as the second most common cancer among women in Nigeria. They received informative flyers and participated in a Q&A session. A few weeks later, Dalhatu was vaccinated against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) at a local government health facility.

A chance for protection

Cervical cancer is responsible for nearly 8,000 deaths among Nigerian women each year, with approximately 12,075 new cases reported. However, since the majority of cervical cancer cases are linked to the human papillomavirus, the risk of developing the disease can be significantly reduced through HPV vaccination. In October 2023, Nigeria incorporated the HPV vaccine into its routine immunization program, offering it free of charge to the upcoming generation of girls.

By the end of 2024, the Nigerian government aims to have provided protection against this sexually transmitted disease to over 12 million girls aged 9 to 14, collaborating closely with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and other partners to reach this goal.

NAOWA has continued to raise awareness of the disease in Kebbi and several other states. Credit: NAOWA

Wife of Kebbi governor, Zainab Bagudu, administers the HPV vaccine on a girl. Credit: Medicaid Cancer Foundation
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized during the integration of the exercise into the national immunization program in 2023 that, “It is entirely unacceptable for approximately 8,000 Nigerian women to die each year from a preventable disease.”

Since the launch of the vaccine, more than 12 million girls have been vaccinated against HPV across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during the two phases of implementation.

A future life-saver

“Apart from the appearance of the military doctors and nurses, I was also thrilled with how gently the wives of the army officers spoke to us about the disease,” Dalhatu told VaccinesWork.

“I decided from that point to be like them when I grow up so that I can save lives in my community.

“My mother wished someone had educated her about cervical cancer before then. She is happy that I have taken the vaccine and want to become a health worker in the military in the future just to save lives,” she added.

“Opened my eyes”

Baiwa, another secondary school pupil who also received vaccination for cervical cancer in Kebbi after her mother was educated about the disease during the campaign by wives of military officers in their community in 2024, has been working towards realising her own dreams, too. Thirteen years old, the girl wishes to study health science at university when she grows older, to help educate people on diseases like cervical cancer.

“I feel happy to have received the vaccination for cervical cancer. Many people in our community didn’t know about this disease until the army officers’ wives conducted an awareness campaign here.

“That encounter not only opened the eyes of our mothers to the dangers of the disease and how it could affect our futures, but also encouraged them to take us for vaccination. Several girls I know in this area have also taken the vaccine,” Baiwa said.

Defensive manoeuvres

To enhance efforts in Kebbi, NAOWA, in partnership with the Medicaid Cancer Foundation and the End Cervical Cancer Naija Initiative, has successfully trained more than 150 healthcare professionals, including military medical staff, to improve access to education and treatment for mothers and their daughters. Additionally, a cancer awareness walk was held in October 2024 in collaboration with Sisters of Jannah, a Muslim women's organization, to further disseminate the message.

“As wives of senior army officers, we are happy to see the impact our contributions to the health of Nigerians are making already.”

- Senior official from NAOWA

A senior official from NAOWA, who requested anonymity due to military protocols, stated that health workers, including military medics, have played a crucial role in disseminating awareness about the disease to remote areas in Kebbi and other northern regions.

“The essence of these awareness campaigns is to reduce the mortality rate associated with the disease by encouraging women and girls to watch out for signs early and let them know the best preventive methods, which are vaccination from an early age.

“As wives of senior army officers, we are happy to see the impact our contributions to the health of Nigerians are making already.

Several health workers trained by NAOWA have been going to remote communities to sensitise women and girls on the disease. Credit: Medicaid Cancer Foundation
“Many of the health workers who have been trained through our efforts have now carried the message on cervical cancer to every nook and cranny of not only Kebbi but the entire northern region as a whole.

“Think about the number of girls that will be saved from cervical cancer through this intervention alone. We are extremely happy and proud to help in this aspect,” the NAOWA official said.

Habiba Quasim, a health worker in the Argungu council area, reported observing a positive shift in both the awareness and attitudes of local mothers.

“Our effort is gradually changing the perception of women on the safety of the HPV vaccine in Kebbi,” Quasim said, during a chat with VaccinesWork.

“Many of them, as a result of religion and culture, don’t trust the safety of vaccines, but all that is changing because we have been able to prove to mothers how reliable the medicine is.

“In response, the number of girls receiving the jab in my council area has been encouraging. This is all thanks to the training received during NAOWA sensitisation campaigns and health seminars,” she said.

Significant impact

In Plateau, a state located in Nigeria's northcentral region, various NAOWA initiatives have made a notable impression. Rachael Bakams, a 45-year-old resident near Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos, the state capital, shared with VaccinesWork that her interaction with the spouses of high-ranking army officials during a recent cervical cancer campaign motivated her to take her 11-year-old daughter, Gladys, for the essential vaccination.

“One morning I was heading to the market to buy some food items, and I ran into some army officers’ wives talking to people about cervical cancer. Immediately I saw them, I picked up interest and decided to find out more about what they were saying.

“By the time I got back home that day, I knew I had to quickly make a decision for my daughter’s future. I consulted with my husband and we both agreed that taking the vaccine was the best for her. I am happy about this decision,” Bakams disclosed.


In January, NAOWA elevated its efforts against cervical cancer in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, by collaborating with the Nigerian Medical Association Cancer Prevention Committee to provide screening for over 200 women. Mernan Femi Oluyede, the president of NAOWA, emphasized that this initiative reflects the organization’s commitment to collaborating with partners to safeguard more girls and women from the disease.

In addition to activities in Kebbi, Plateau, and Abuja, the nationwide cervical cancer awareness campaign supported the Nigerian government's initiative to encourage more girls to receive the vaccine.