Ayobamiji Komolafe 
In commemoration of World Cancer Day 2025, former First Lady of Ondo State and breast cancer survivour, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has shared her personal journey of survival, resilience, and loss.
While recounting her ordeal with the disease, Betty Akeredolu reaffirmed that cancer is not a death sentence, urging individuals and communities to take action against the disease through early detection, lifestyle changes, and emotional support.
Mrs Akeredolu, diagnosed with breast cancer 27 years ago at the age of 44, attributes her survival to her mindset, medical intervention, and informed choices.
Unlike many who attribute cancer to spiritual attacks, she took a scientific approach and sought treatment at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where she was diagnosed with Stage 1, with no lymph node involvement.
According to her, she stated that her educational background also played a crucial role in shaping her response. Instead of resigning herself to fate, she read extensively on breast cancer, attended international conferences, and adopted a lifestyle that supported her longevity.
Determined to raise her young children, she made drastic dietary and lifestyle changes, eliminating sugar, starchy foods, and processed drinks from her diet.
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She added that since 2000, she has avoided soft drinks, “swallows” (eba, pounded yam, amala, akpu), and bread, instead embracing a diet rich in vegetables, smoothies, green tea, lemon and ginger tea, beans, fish, chicken, snails, and zobo drink.
In addition to dietary changes, exercise, particularly jogging, became a key part of her routine.
While she celebrates her own triumph over cancer, Betty Akeredolu has also experienced the grief of losing a loved one to the disease.
On December 26, 2023, she lost her husband, former governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu (Aketi), to prostate cancer.
This loss has further fueled her commitment to raising awareness about early detection, treatment, and the need for communities to support cancer patients and survivors.
Recognizing the emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis, she founded Team Survivors Nigeria (TSN), a community of breast cancer survivors providing psychosocial support and proof that breast cancer is not a death sentence.
Through TSN and BRECAN, she continues to advocate for improved cancer care, patient support, and policies that prioritize cancer awareness in Nigeria.
As a 27-year breast cancer survivor, Betty Akeredolu remains a living testimony that early detection and lifestyle changes can lead to survival.
On World Cancer Day 2025, she encourages individuals and communities to take proactive steps—from regular screenings to healthy living and creating support networks for those battling cancer.
