The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has directed the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), along with other key health research institutions, to allocate resources in support of a groundbreaking study into a potential cure for brain cancer.
The directive follows a major scientific breakthrough by the Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training (CAMRET), a research unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, which recently discovered a promising molecule believed to be effective against multiple forms of cancer, particularly glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive and fatal form of brain cancer.
Speaking during a virtual meeting with the heads of the research institutes and the CAMRET team, Salako described the discovery as a pivotal step toward advancing the health innovation and research agenda of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He urged the CAMRET researchers to submit a formal proposal to the ministry detailing their needs for further collaboration and scale-up, assuring them of the Federal Government’s full backing.
“The phytomedicine sector must be prioritised in unlocking Nigeria’s healthcare value chain,” Salako said. “A committee has already been established to bring together investors, research institutions, and stakeholders to accelerate pharmaceutical development.”
He commended the scientists for their dedication and urged them to stay focused on ensuring that the research progresses to commercial application for the benefit of Nigerians.
Presenting the findings, CAMRET team lead, Dr Amina Jega, revealed that the active compound was extracted from a plant indigenous to North-Western Nigeria.
She explained that the extract was found to eliminate brain cancer cell lines within 48 hours at a specific dosage and is now being tested against breast, liver, colon, cervical, leukaemia, and lung cancers, all of which are showing promising results.
Jega noted the urgency of the study, pointing out that glioblastoma multiforme has a median survival rate of just 15 months, mainly due to drug resistance and limited treatment options.
Director-General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Aliyu, praised the minister’s swift intervention, pledging full institutional support for the ongoing research. “As soon as the minister received word of the discovery, he directed us to engage the researchers. NICRAT is committed to supporting this initiative in every possible way,” Aliyu said.
Director-General of NIPRD, Dr Obi Adigwe, disclosed that the minister has approved the inclusion of a CAMRET representative in a federal delegation to China in early 2026 for specialised training. He added that a Stanford University delegation will visit Nigeria in February 2026 for a boot camp on translational research, with another CAMRET representative approved to participate.
“The project will be treated as a national priority,” Adigwe assured.
Also speaking, the Director-General of NIMR, Prof. John Obafunwa, expressed readiness to collaborate, particularly in conducting clinical studies to evaluate the compound’s safety and efficacy in human subjects.
“If this research can extend brain cancer survival rates beyond the current 12 to 15 months, it will mark a major advancement,” Obafunwa stated.
The discovery is being hailed as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s biomedical research landscape. With inter-agency collaboration and federal support, the development of a locally derived treatment for brain cancer could become one of the country’s most transformative scientific breakthroughs with implications reaching far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
