Nigerian industrialist Rasaq Okoya marks 86th birthday with free cancer screenings, health outreach in Lagos

Nigerian industrialist and philanthropist Chief Razaq Akanni Okoya is marking his 86th birthday with a weeklong free medical outreach in the Ajah area of Lagos that will include cancer screenings and other tests.

Organizers say more than 1,000 residents of Ajah and nearby communities are expected to benefit from the program, branded Okoya @ 86 Medical Outreach, running Jan. 5 through Jan. 12, 2026.

The daily clinics are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oluwaninsola Estate, opposite the Eleganza Bus Stop along the Lekki Ajah Expressway. The effort is being presented as part of Okoya’s community support work tied to the businesses he operates and the neighborhood where he lives.

The outreach will offer general medical consultations alongside blood pressure and blood sugar checks. Residents will also be able to take HIV tests, get eye screening and receive corrective glasses when needed, and undergo dental checks. Breast and prostate cancer screening are among the headline services, with health education, wellness guidance and referrals included for patients who need further care.

Participants are expected to receive medications at no cost, organizers said, describing the outreach as a way to help residents understand their health status and seek treatment earlier.

Okoya, chairman of the Eleganza Group of Companies, said he wanted the outreach to be a practical gesture of gratitude and a reminder that medical care should not be out of reach for ordinary families.

“Health is wealth,” he said in a statement announcing the program. Okoya said he was thankful to Almighty Allah for preserving his life to see another year, adding that reaching 86 in January 2026 felt like a milestone he did not want to celebrate alone.

He linked the campaign to his view that healthier communities support economic growth. Okoya said he has spent more than six decades in manufacturing, employing young Nigerians and building a consumer products brand sold across the country.

Doctors and volunteers will provide counseling during the week, with referrals to hospitals and specialists where necessary, organizers said. Residents are encouraged to come early and ask questions about recommended screenings.

Public health advocates in Nigeria have long urged people to pursue routine checks, especially for cancers that are often detected late. Organizers said the Ajah outreach is aimed at making those checks easier to access for residents who might otherwise delay care. Early detection can make treatment effective, doctors say.