… Integrates in-flight fundraising platform for cancer relief
In a bid to tackle the country’s rising cancer burden, domestic carrier United Nigeria Airlines has partnered with the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) to convert its extensive passenger network into an active fundraising and public awareness platform aimed at driving early screening and supporting patient care.
The initiative carries a deeply personal resonance for United Nigeria Airlines’ Managing Director, Mazi Osita Okonkwo, who revealed that he is a cancer survivor and lost two sisters to the disease.
“I am a cancer survivor myself, and I also have a sister who died of cancer. My two sisters, actually, were cancer victims,” Okonkwo shared. He emphasised that speaking openly about his journey is crucial to stripping away the stigma surrounding the illness.
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“We are not shy about talking about it because if you are able to tell the story, it gives hope to the other person who may be having that problem or who may think that this is a death sentence. It is not.”
Under the newly established corporate social responsibility framework, United Nigeria Airlines will integrate a voluntary donation feature into its online booking engine. Passengers booking flights can opt to contribute from N1,000 upwards—with predefined options of N2,000, N5,000, N100,000, or custom amounts.
Okonkwo explained that all proceeds will be remitted directly to a dedicated account managed by the Nigerian Cancer Society to fund early detection, patient support, and public outreach.
Beyond digital channels, the airline is expanding the campaign inside its cabins. Informational flyers will be placed in aircraft seat pockets, cabin crew will highlight the drive during flight announcements, and alternative transfer options will be made available for passengers wishing to donate during their journey.
Okonkwo added that micro-donations across the airline’s daily passenger base can collectively accumulate into a significant financial buffer. He also urged media institutions to amplify cancer education to dismantle persistent cultural myths that misattribute the disease to spiritual attacks or witchcraft instead of seeking timely clinical intervention.
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Welcoming the collaboration, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, commended the airline for taking full ownership of the campaign.
Omonisi identified the absence of a structured national screening program as a key barrier in Nigeria’s oncology landscape. Unlike countries with automated health reminder systems, Nigeria relies heavily on fragmented, ad-hoc screening drives that often lack formal referral pathways for treatment.
Highlighting the power of early intervention, Omonisi cited the case of a Nigerian breast cancer survivor who is currently approaching 30 years post-diagnosis, having caught the disease at stage one.
“People shouldn’t die of cancer, ideally if they are discovered very early,” Omonisi noted, urging Nigerians to embrace routine health check-ups.
Beyond late presentation, the sheer cost of cancer care remains prohibitive for most citizens. Omonisi pointed out that advanced therapies, such as immunotherapy, can cost as high as ₦50 million for a full treatment cycle—an expense capable of wiping out household savings.
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The financial strain is further compounded by geographical disparities. Because specialised cancer centres are concentrated in major metropolitan hubs, patients from suburban and rural areas must shoulder heavy transportation and lodging expenses for repeated visits. Many patients are forced to sell property, while others drop out mid-treatment simply because they cannot afford transit to oncology centres.
The airline-NCS partnership aims to generate steady funding to help cushion these logistical and medical expenses for vulnerable patients while sustaining grassroots awareness.
For United Nigeria Airlines, the mission goes beyond routine commercial flights. As Okonkwo summarised: “We are flying for a purpose.” Through this initiative, every domestic flight offers passengers a simple, direct opportunity to contribute to saving lives.
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Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the ‘Aviation Writer of the Year’ Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
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