The Federal Government will commission three new state-of-the-art cancer treatment centers on May 29, 2025, to mark a milestone in Nigeria’s healthcare transformation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammadu Ali Pate, announced on Saturday that the facilities represent the largest chain of oncology and diagnostic centers in West Africa, with the capacity to train up to 500 clinicians over a three-year period and serve nearly 2,000 oncology patients and 350,000 diagnostic clients annually.
The cancer centers are located across different geo-political zones in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozala, Enugu (South-East); the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo State (South-South); and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina (North-West).
The cancer care investment, according to the minister, aligns with President Tinubu’s recognition of the enormous burden cancer places on Nigerian families.
In February 2024, the President approved an expansion of cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment infrastructure at six federal hospitals nationwide.
The initiative was implemented through collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
“As H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marks the midpoint of his first term in office, I am pleased to unveil the most significant investment any Nigerian administration has ever made in cancer care, which entails the largest chain of oncology and diagnostic centers in West Africa with the capacity to train up to 500 clinicians over a three-year period while serving nearly 2,000 oncology and 350,000 diagnostic clients annually,” Prof. Pate stated in a release on his official X handle.
In preparation for the May 29 commissioning, key staff from the three institutions underwent specialised training in South Africa to ensure optimal operationalization once the centers become fully operational.
To enhance accessibility, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched a cost-sharing initiative that subsidizes up to N400,000 for eligible disadvantaged patients undergoing radiotherapy to reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment.
Pate assured that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, both supply and demand obstacles to affordable and quality cancer care in Nigeria are being removed.
