By Stanley Onyekwere
To mark this year’s World Alzheimer’s Day health advocacy group Naidcare Nigeria expanded its annual campaign directly to grassroots communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The outreach, held under the local theme “KARU: Unite against Alzheimer’s — End the stigma, loud the awareness,” took place at the Karu Chief Palace, on Monday in Abuja.
The event aimed to urge the public to seek medical intervention for memory loss rather than attributing symptoms to spiritual attacks, madness, or witchcraft.
The campaign was organized by Naidcare Nigeria in partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Nigeria, Silver Cross Hospital, FCT Area Council Services Secretariat, FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), FCT Public Health Department, FCT Primary Healthcare Board, and the Rotary Club of Abuja Municipal.
Speaking at the event, Mr. James Itodo, Senior Executive and Head of Operations at Naidcare Nigeria, explained that after hosting previous editions in the FCT city center, the organization recognized an urgent need to bring critical health information directly to rural and semi-urban communities.
“This is the third consecutive time we are having this event. The previous two were held in the city center, but we discovered the need to bring awareness closer to the grassroots, which is why we decided to bring it to Karu.
“Alzheimer’s is becoming increasingly rampant, yet many people do not understand what it is.
“The goal is to raise awareness so people seek medical help rather than treating it as a spiritual issue,” Itodo said.
Itodo stressed that while Alzheimer’s currently has no cure, its onset and progression can be managed through early lifestyle interventions, including proper management of underlying conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, physical exercise, and healthy nutrition.
Corroborating this, Chief Executive Officer of Naidcare, Foluso Junaid, shared a personal account of how a lack of awareness impacts families, recounting how his late grandmother suffered from the disease without proper medical care.
“I first learned about these conditions during a training course in the UK, where I realized my late grandmother had suffered from the disease—though at the time, family members attributed her condition to spiritual causes,” the CEO stated.
He noted that Naidcare plans to scale its campaigns beyond the FCT to all states across Nigeria in partnership with government agencies, while advising caregivers to monitor subtle behavioral shifts in relatives for early medical diagnosis.
Interestingly, the outreach resonated strongly with local residents.
Abigail Ishaku Dakuru, a community member who attended the program, admitted that the event completely reshaped local perceptions of cognitive decline in older adults.
“In the past, when we saw an elderly person behaving unusually, we assumed they were involved in witchcraft.
“Through today’s lectures, we learned that a specific medical condition causes these behaviors,” Dakuru said, adding that several residents also received free health evaluations and referrals to nearby clinics.
Also speaking at the event, Senator Eze Ajoku, President of the Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), underscored the urgent need to dismantle the social stigma surrounding dementia.
“Because of a lack of public understanding, individuals exhibiting symptoms are often mischaracterized as mad or associated with witchcraft.
“When an older person appears confused, loses their way, or forgets basic personal details, the public must recognize these as symptoms of Alzheimer’s and offer proper support,” Ajoku observed.
Delivering a message on behalf of the Executive Director, the Director of Community Health Services, and the Head of Non-Communicable Diseases, Mr. Kabir Mohammed, representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), highlighted the global theme for 2026: “The earlier you know, the more you can do: A dementia diagnosis matters.”
“This year’s theme is particularly relevant in Nigeria, where memory loss in older individuals is frequently misattributed to normal aging.
“Early diagnosis empowers families to provide care, reduce social stigma, and support persons living with dementia with dignity,” Mohammed noted, reaffirming NPHCDA’s commitment to early screening and community advocacy.
In her remarks, Hon. Medinat Omobolanle Akiemi-Obe, Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), highlighted government initiatives aimed at supporting elderly care. She revealed that the agency is partnering with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to integrate proper nutrition and home gardening—championed by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu—into management plans for older adults.
Hosting the delegation, His Royal Highness, the Sa’Karuyi of Karu, Joseph Danfulani Narai, commended the organizers for selecting Karu for the health drive.
Similarly, Chief Yusuf Bawa (the Bagajiako of Karu Kingdom),
Chief Bawa, who benefited from free blood pressure and sugar tests at the venue, expressed optimism about continuing the sensitization across neighboring communities in the chiefdom.
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