By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships and investments in cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, as part of efforts to reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this known when he received members of the Global Advisory Council of the National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group in Abuja on Tuesday, 11 August, 2026 describing cancer as a major global health challenge that remains particularly severe in Africa due to late presentation, high mortality, limited infrastructure, inadequate manpower and constrained resources.
Salako said the Federal Government had placed partnerships at the centre of implementing the National Cancer Control Plan 2026-2030, stressing that international expertise and collaboration would be critical to sustainable progress.
He said the Tinubu administration had continued to prioritise cancer prevention, citing the inclusion of HPV vaccination in the routine immunisation schedule as a major step towards preventing cervical cancer, alongside expanded screening, improved public awareness and integration of screening services into primary healthcare.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had commenced construction of six cancer centres of excellence, with three completed and the remaining three at various stages of development, adding that President Tinubu had approved the procurement of 35 additional linear accelerators between 2027 and 2029 to expand access to radiotherapy services and strengthen the country’s cancer treatment capacity.
Salako commended members of the Global Advisory Council and the Technical Working Group for their commitment, expertise, networks and resources, expressing appreciation for the Council’s support to Nigeria’s pathology laboratories and assuring that donated equipment would be deployed effectively to improve diagnostic services.
He urged the Council to continue building wider partnerships and mobilising resources globally, expressing optimism that sustained collaboration would contribute significantly to reducing and ultimately eliminating the burden of cancer.
While formally inaugurating the Blood Cancer Consortium, Salako described it as an important platform for advancing knowledge, collaboration and improved outcomes in the management of blood cancers, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring partnerships under the National Cancer Control Plan translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, expressed delight over the visit and hope that it would benefit Nigerians.
Responding, the Chairman of the National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group, Professor Folakemi Odedina, who led the delegation, expressed appreciation to the ministry for the confidence and support given to the working group, noting that the initiative had brought together Nigerian experts at home and in the diaspora, government, academia, healthcare providers, patients, advocates, industry and international partners around a common national vision for cancer control.
She disclosed that the NCCP Technical Working Group had become operational, with structures under a coordinated national framework already being implemented, and assured that the Council would work with NCCP subcommittees, geopolitical zones, integration hubs and national institutions to accelerate progress towards the 2030 cancer control targets.
On cancer research, Odedina said the NCCP was laying the foundation for a stronger national oncology clinical trials ecosystem designed to develop Nigerian investigators, strengthen trial-ready institutions, expand patients’ access to clinical trials and position Nigeria as a major contributor to cancer research in Africa and globally.
She announced a new model of strategic institutional partnership between Nigeria and leading global cancer institutions, expected to involve the University of Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, among others, working within a framework aligned with Nigeria’s national cancer control priorities.
The meeting concluded with a ceremonial signing of a strategic partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCCP Technical Working Group and members of the Global Advisory Council.
