Free diabetes screening will open to 10 million Nigerians as the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation marks this year’s World Diabetes Day in Ogun.
People can walk in and have a free check of their diabetes status, as well as, some other chronic diseases at the MKO Abiola Stadium and the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex from November 14, Olalekan Makinde, chief executive, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation said in a statement provided to BusinessDay.
The former Nigerian President said he was diagnosed with diabetes more than 40 years ago, saying he has been able to survive the disease by maintaining a good healthy diet and regular exercise.
He said diabetes had no known cure yet and had continued to claim lives yearly, advising those living with diabetes to manage the disease well by maintaining a good healthy lifestyle, saying the disease is not a killer disease.
Speaking further he said, “It is a disease that strikes you whether you are white, black or yellow. And for now, there is no known cure, but it can be managed like other diseases that have no cure,” he said.#
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“And to know that it can be managed, I think I’m a typical example, I have been diagnosed diabetic more than 40 years ago. And the fact that after 40 years of being diabetic, I’m still alive, kicking and walking about, doing within limit all the things that I would want to do, carrying out my exercises and going places is an indication that if you are diabetic, you can manage it.”
The foundation will mark this year’s World Diabetes Daywith a Novelty football match between the Obj All-Stars and the Nigeria Ex-Super Eagles Players led by Segun Odegbami, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Mutiu Adepoju etc at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
The climax will be a dinner with OBJ, and other dignitaries from all spheres of life, including the players at the marque of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex.
Individuals and corporate organisations have been urged to take advantage of the unique sponsorship and partnership opportunities to brand the stadium, dinner venue and jersey for the events, as well as, other marketing opportunities and CSR.
All funds generated from the events will go into the provision of diabetes-free health care across Nigeria, the foundation said.
