The Federal Government has approved the procurement of 35 additional linear accelerators to expand access to radiotherapy and strengthen cancer treatment services across Nigeria.
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The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving members of the Global Advisory Council of the National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group.
Salako said the machines would be procured between 2027 and 2029 as part of the implementation of the National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030.
Linear accelerators are specialised machines used to deliver high-energy radiation to cancerous tumours while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
According to the minister, the additional machines will increase Nigeria’s capacity to provide radiotherapy services and improve access to treatment for people living with cancer.
He also disclosed that work was ongoing on six cancer centres across the country, with three already completed and construction continuing on the remaining three.
Salako said the government was placing greater emphasis on cancer prevention and early detection instead of concentrating solely on treatment after diagnosis.
“Prevention is better and cheaper than cure. We are doing everything possible to expand routine immunisation, broaden screening and improve early detection,” he said.
The minister identified the inclusion of the human papillomavirus vaccine in Nigeria’s routine immunisation programme as one of the government’s measures to prevent cervical cancer.
He added that cervical cancer screening was being expanded, while selected cancer-screening services were being introduced at primary and secondary healthcare facilities to enable earlier detection and intervention.
As part of the broader cancer control initiative, Salako inaugurated the Blood Cancer Consortium, a platform designed to bring healthcare professionals and other stakeholders together to improve the prevention, diagnosis and management of blood cancers in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, said stronger collaboration among stakeholders would be essential to improving cancer outcomes in the country.
Chairman of the National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group, Prof. Folakemi Odedina, said the initiative had brought together Nigerian cancer experts at home and in the diaspora, healthcare providers, researchers, patients, advocates and international partners.
Odedina said the technical working group was also seeking to strengthen cancer research and establish a more effective national framework for oncology clinical trials.
She added that partnerships with leading cancer institutions worldwide would help Nigerian institutions build their capacity for cancer research, diagnosis and treatment.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a strategic partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group and the Global Advisory Council.
The government said the partnership would support the implementation of Nigeria’s cancer control agenda and improve health outcomes for Nigerians living with the disease.
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