Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday, April 30, 2015 shocked many as she revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer in 1997.
Okonjo-Iweala made the revelation at the THISDAY Dome, Abuja, venue of the night of tributes organised in honour of Oronto Douglas, the late Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on research, documentation and strategy, who lost the fight to stomach cancer on Thursday, April 9, 2015.
She said: “Oronto and I had something in common: we both had cancer.
“I underwent treatment for three years. I had surgery, did chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I had the last surgery 15 years ago and I was declared cancer-free. I am a cancer survivor.
“I told Oronto to fight for his life. Despite the cancer, he continued to work hard. That is the part of him I want to remember, not the weight loss.”
