FG plans to boost cancer treatment with new machines

The federal government has announced it will buy 25 new linear accelerators from 2027 to 2029. This is to increase cancer treatment capacity across Nigeria.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, shared this news on Tuesday in Abuja. He spoke at a meeting of the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) Technical Working Group and Global Advisory Council.

Linear accelerators are machines used in radiotherapy. They deliver high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells while protecting nearby healthy tissue.

Mr Salako said President Bola Tinubu approved the purchase as part of a three-year plan to improve cancer care in the country. "Recently, President Bola Tinubu approved that between 2027 and 2029, the country should procure an additional 25 linear accelerators. We are executing a three-year plan to achieve this," he said.

The minister noted that Nigeria still faces a big cancer problem. Many patients come for treatment too late. There are also shortages of facilities, trained staff, and funds that make it hard for people to get care.

He added that the government is working on the National Cancer Control Plan 2026, 2030. This plan focuses on prevention, early detection, treatment, research, and building partnerships.

Cancer centres and prevention

Mr Salako mentioned that the building of six Cancer Centres of Excellence has started. Three of these centres are already finished, and work is ongoing on the others.

He said prevention is also very important for the government’s cancer control strategy. One of the measures is adding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to Nigeria’s routine immunisation program.

"The President particularly continues to emphasise prioritising prevention. That is why one of the very first things he did was to approve that routinely, HPV vaccination should be part of our immunisation schedule," he said.

He further stated that efforts are ongoing to strengthen hepatitis vaccination, expand cervical cancer screening, and integrate screening services into primary healthcare facilities.

Mr Salako also launched the Blood Cancer Consortium. This follows the donation of equipment and resources to improve pathology laboratories across the country.

Coordinating cancer response

The President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Abidemi Omonisi, praised the government for its coordinated approach to cancer prevention and treatment.

Mr Omonisi pointed out that poor coordination among stakeholders has been a major issue. This has led to duplicated efforts and limited impact. He said the NCCP Technical Working Group is tackling this by bringing together government agencies, researchers, doctors, development partners, and cancer groups.

He believes that stronger international partnerships and involving Nigerians abroad could improve research, technology transfer, training, and access to better cancer care.

Earlier, Folakemi Odedina, the Chair of the NCCP Technical Working Group, said the group has moved quickly from planning to action. She mentioned that the initiative has united government bodies, academics, patients, advocates, survivors, industry players, and international partners around a common goal.

Ms Odedina noted that progress is being made in areas like prevention, early detection, treatment, survivorship, palliative care, research, clinical trials, workforce development, and digital health initiatives.

She added that the Global Advisory Council is offering expertise in areas like cancer prevention, treatment, genomics, and data management. According to her, steps are also being taken to boost Nigeria’s oncology clinical trials and improve patient access to new treatment options.

"We intend to produce trained people, stronger institutions in Nigeria, better research, expanded clinical trials, improved technologies, greater access to care, and ultimately better outcomes for Nigerian cancer patients," she said.

She stressed that just getting treatment is not enough if patients cannot afford transportation, food, and accommodation during their care.

Liver cancer

Lewis Roberts from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Centre urged for more focus on liver, pancreatic, and biliary tract cancers in Africa.

"Liver cancer is one of the major causes of cancer deaths in Africa. Across the continent, it’s the number three cause of death from cancer," he said.

Mr Roberts recommended stronger screening programs, better detection and treatment of viral hepatitis, and wider vaccination coverage to lower the risk of liver cancer.

The meeting reviewed progress under the National Cancer Control Plan. It also discussed ways to improve cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, research, and survivorship care in Nigeria.