NGO marks 30 years of advocacy, care in breast cancer fight
A non-governmental organisation, Care, Organisation, Public, Enlightenment (C.O.P.E), is marking its 30th anniversary this October, celebrating three decades of advocacy, early detection, and survivor support in Nigeria’s fight against breast cancer. Founded in 1995 by Mrs. Ebunola Anozie after losing both parents to cancer and surviving her own breast cancer scare, C.O.P.E began as a […]
A non-governmental organisation, Care, Organisation, Public, Enlightenment (C.O.P.E), is marking its 30th anniversary this October, celebrating three decades of advocacy, early detection, and survivor support in Nigeria’s fight against breast cancer.
Founded in 1995 by Mrs. Ebunola Anozie after losing both parents to cancer and surviving her own breast cancer scare, C.O.P.E began as a small initiative driven by personal conviction and has grown into a national movement that has reached millions of Nigerians.
Over the past 30 years, the organisation has reached more than 7.5 million women and families through awareness campaigns, conducted over 100,000 free screenings, provided counselling to more than 1,400 women, and supported over 350 survivors with post-treatment care, therapy, and empowerment programmes.
Reflecting on the milestone, Anozie said C.O.P.E’s success has been built on compassion and consistency.
> “C.O.P.E has thrived because of our commitment to being compassionate and consistent. We’ve made it our motto to always show up. It doesn’t matter whether we have a lot or a little, because we know even the smallest act of care can change the course of a woman’s life,” she said.
Anozie also expressed gratitude to the organisation’s long-term partners, including Polaris Bank, Variant Advisory, Aradel Holdings, Engr. Afolabi Oladele, Access Bank, STL Trustees, CreditDirect, SKLD Integrated Services Ltd., Idachaba Family, Ginger Soul Lifestyle, Pfizer, Hard Rock Café, and General Electric, for their support over the years.
Despite the progress made, she noted that the demand for services continues to grow, saying the current C.O.P.E facility can no longer accommodate the increasing number of women seeking help.
> “Our next chapter will focus on building a permanent home — a comprehensive breast cancer centre that brings screening, treatment support, counselling, referrals, education, research, and survivor services together under one roof,” Anozie said.
She added that the organisation’s goal is to reach 10 million women by 2030 through expanded screenings, community education, and partnerships that make early detection a national priority.
C.O.P.E’s 30th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at the Marriott Hotel, Lagos, with support from Polaris Bank. The event will bring together survivors, volunteers, donors, and well-wishers to honour three decades of impact and chart a new path forward.
Organisers said the gathering will also serve as a rallying point for continued collaboration among government agencies, private sector partners, and the public, reaffirming C.O.P.E’s mission to reduce breast cancer mortality and improve survivor outcomes nationwide.