The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has announced plans to upgrade one chemotherapy suite in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to implement the chemosafe policy and improve access to cancer care.

The institute will also provide solar-powered refrigerators, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and support capacity-building initiatives for healthcare workers involved in chemotherapy administration in the selected centres.

Director-General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Aliyu, disclosed this during the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting of the Nigerian Cancer Access Partnership (NCAP) in Abuja.

He explained that NCAP is a strategic public-private collaboration designed to reduce the cost of cancer treatment, prevent drug stock-outs and decentralise oncology care across the country.

According to him, the partnership will expand access to quality life-saving medications, including subsidised chemotherapies and targeted immunotherapies for indigent and low-income cancer patients.

Aliyu said NCAP aligns with NICRAT’s mandate to strengthen cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, research, and palliative care through coordinated and evidence-based interventions.

Represented by the Director, Clinical Services, Prof. Musa Ali-Gombe, the director-general stressed that no single institution could address Nigeria’s cancer burden alone, noting that progress requires collaboration among government agencies, healthcare providers, development partners, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders.

“NCAP provides the platform through which these stakeholders can align efforts, leverage resources and develop sustainable solutions that improve access to quality cancer services. We must work collectively to reduce barriers to cancer treatment, expand access to essential cancer medicines and technologies, and ensure that no Nigerian is denied care because of geography, socio-economic status or other inequities,” he said.

Aliyu urged stakeholders to identify practical areas for collaboration, establish priorities, and develop strategies to accelerate equitable access to cancer care nationwide.  He added that mechanisms had been developed to reduce medicine stock-outs, while EMGE Resources had been engaged to improve the efficiency of the platform and resolve technical challenges.

MEANWHILE, speaking at the Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building Programme themed, “Innova Healthcare Nigeria – Bringing the Total Oncology Solution,” Aliyu said private sector participation remained essential to strengthening healthcare delivery and reducing the country’s cancer burden.

He said strategic partnerships, innovation and sustained investments across the cancer care continuum were necessary to improve access to quality treatment.

Aliyu noted that radiotherapy services had improved significantly through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), adding that several cancer centres across Nigeria currently operate through collaborative arrangements.

He revealed that nearly half of the radiotherapy centres providing services to cancer patients in Nigeria are operated through PPP models, highlighting the growing role of private sector investment.

The NICRAT director-general said the institute, through NCAP and the National Cancer Health Fund (NCHF), had supported more than 10,000 Nigerians with treatment, diagnostics and essential medicines.

He also disclosed that the institute was finalising Nigeria’s first National Cancer Burden Report, which would provide comprehensive data on cancer prevalence, trends and the national disease burden.

According to him, the report would support policy development, resource allocation, programme implementation and investment decisions in cancer prevention and treatment.

In his remarks, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, said partnerships were critical to achieving Nigeria’s cancer control targets and improving access to care.

Represented by the National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Dr Uche Nwokwu, the minister said government alone could not meet the growing demand for cancer services.

He stated that the National Cancer Control Plan aims to reduce Nigeria’s cancer burden by 50 per cent by 2030 through improved screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship programmes.

Salako added that the Cancer Access Partnership currently provides subsidised anti-cancer medicines in more than 24 hospitals across the country, improving affordability and access for patients.

A Senior Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Chinedu Aruah, stressed the importance of strengthening oncology workforce capacity to improve cancer management.

The Business Development Director of Innova Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Mr Wong Kai Tan, identified shortages of radiotherapy equipment and specialised personnel, including radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation therapists, as major challenges affecting cancer treatment delivery.

He said the company was exploring partnerships to promote technology transfer, knowledge exchange and workforce development between Nigeria and Singapore.

Tan said the firm would provide end-to-end oncology solutions, including infrastructure development, equipment installation and training of healthcare workers. “We are here to bridge the two countries together, to bridge the two worlds together, to make sure we can deliver care much better,” he said.

The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr Ikenna Njoku, said the initiative would help reduce medical tourism and make cancer treatment more affordable for Nigerians.