FG inaugurates blood consortium, strengthens partnerships to reduce cancer burden

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 cancer in Nigeria.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stated this Wednesday, when he received members of the Global Advisory Council of the National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group in Abuja.

He noted that cancer remains a major global health challenge, with the burden particularly severe in Africa due to late presentation, high mortality, limited infrastructure, inadequate manpower and constrained resources.

The minister said the federal government had placed partnerships at the centre of the implementation of the National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030, adding that international expertise and collaboration would be critical to achieving sustainable progress.

He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to prioritise cancer prevention, citing the inclusion of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the routine immunisation schedule as a major step towards preventing cervical cancer.

Dr Salako stated that Nigeria is expanding cervical cancer screening, improving public awareness and integrating screening services into primary healthcare to promote early detection.

“Prevention is better and cheaper than cure. We are doing everything we can to expand immunisation, improve screening and ensure that cancer is detected at a very early stage,” he stressed.

Salako added  that the federal government had commenced the construction of six cancer centres of excellence, with three already completed and the remaining three at various stages of development, adding that President Tinubu had also approved the procurement of 35 additional linear accelerators between 2027 and 2029, aimed at significantly expanding access to radiotherapy services and strengthening Nigeria’s cancer treatment capacity.