President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to inaugurate three newly completed cancer centres tomorrow in Katsina, Benin, and Nsukka.
These facilities are part of a broader project involving the construction of six cancer treatment centres across the country.
In March 2024, the President approved the National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to oversee the upgrade of oncology centres in six Federal University Teaching Hospitals, each located in one of the nation’s geo-political zones, to enhance cancer care nationwide.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate gave a deadline of between 18 and 20 months to complete the Centres of Excellence.
Tomorrow, the centres built Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina; the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka; and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital are set for inauguration, in fulfillment of the President’s promise to Nigerians that he would tackle the scourge of cancer.
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; University of Jos Teaching Hospital; and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, are expected to be inaugurated in the second phase.
As promised by the President that he would not abandon ongoing projects by the last administration, NSIA’s involvement in the Oncology initiative was imperative due to the project’s stagnation four years, which could no longer be tolerated given the current volatile local and global inflationary trends.
Research into national medical data indicated that cancer was the fourth leading cause of deaths in Nigeria as of 2022, with 5,912 of 8,114 diagnosed cases resulting in death.
Considering the gravity of this situation, and following the confirmation of the NSIA Board’s approval of the project, a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NSIA and the six Federal University Teaching Hospitals.
Consequently, the project was primed to recommence the utilization of the remaining N17.9b from the initial appropriation, along with the N30b allocated for it in the 2024 budget for the six centers, totalling N37.9b.
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In addition to bridging the funding gap, the NSIA collaboration would also ensure the provision of infrastructure and training of personnel, among other important variables to the project.
Professor Pate, who described the initiative as the single largest investment in cancer care in Nigeria’s history, noted that the facilities represent the first phase of a broader plan to establish ten new cancer centres across the country.
Describing the development as unprecedented, the Coordinating Minister stressed that the network of oncology and diagnostic centres is expected to be the largest in West Africa, with the capacity to train up to 500 clinicians over three years and serve nearly 2,000 oncology patients and 350,000 diagnostic clients annually.
“This is the most significant investment any Nigerian administration has ever made in cancer care, and it entails the largest chain of oncology and diagnostic centres in West Africa.”
To underscore the seriousness attached to the project, Pate said the government removed all bottlenecks, including vested interests, stalling the long-delayed cancer treatment project.
He further noted that the NSIA’s direct involvement in procurement had cut out middlemen entirely, saving the country around N10 billion, all while securing a additional 30% discount on the medical equipment being operated in the new cancer centers.
“This marks the end of a tragic era for Nigerians battling cancer.” Pate said.
