The Federal Government has intensified its partnership with China to expand cancer care, radiotherapy capacity and oncology expertise in Nigeria, with plans to procure and install 35 additional linear accelerators between 2026 and 2028.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this at the LINK Global Summit on Innovation and Practice in Oncology, held at the China National Convention Centre, Beijing.
Salako said the initiative formed part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to transform cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment through technology transfer, international collaboration and increased investment in specialised cancer infrastructure.
He said Nigeria’s participation in the summit demonstrated its resolve to move beyond merely observing advances in oncology to actively shaping innovation and bringing appropriate technologies and expertise back home.
According to him, Nigeria recorded an estimated 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 cancer deaths in 2022, with breast, prostate and cervical cancers accounting for more than 40 per cent of cancer mortality.
The Minister, however, noted that the country’s mortality-to-incidence ratio had improved from 62.3 per cent in 2022 to 59.6 per cent in 2024, stressing that more interventions were required to achieve substantial reductions in cancer deaths.
Salako highlighted several measures introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the integration of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine into routine immunisation in 2023, through which more than 14 million girls aged nine to 14 had been reached.
He also cited the National Initiative for Cancer Early Detection, Screening and Coordinated Access to Network Care, as well as initiatives by the Task Force for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, aimed at expanding screening, early diagnosis and referral services.
On cancer treatment, the Minister said the National Cancer Access Programme, Catastrophic Health Insurance Scheme, National Cancer Health Fund and Social Determinants of Cancer Care Fund were being deployed to improve access to essential medicines and reduce the financial burden on patients.
He disclosed that six cancer centres of excellence were being developed, with three already completed and commissioned in Katsina, Enugu and Benin and equipped with modern linear accelerators.
Salako said the Federal Government had also strengthened the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, which had trained about 140 early-career cancer scientists and supported 24 research grants.
A major component of the China partnership, he said, was the strategic cooperation agreement signed with LinaTech, a Chinese technology company specialising in advanced radiation therapy solutions.
The agreement, according to him, would support radiotherapy technical assistance, joint research and development, academic exchanges and professional capacity building.
Salako also called for the twinning of Nigerian cancer centres of excellence and major tertiary hospitals with leading Chinese cancer institutions, alongside the establishment of a designated clinical training base in Nigeria that could serve as a West African hub for advanced radiotherapy training.
He said Nigeria would also pursue fellowship opportunities in China for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiotherapy technologists and biomedical engineers.
Looking ahead to 2030, the minister said the government would prioritise technology transfer, local assembly and servicing of radiotherapy and imaging equipment, joint clinical trials, cancer registry-linked research, artificial intelligence-assisted treatment planning, adaptive radiotherapy and tele-oncology.
Emphasising the importance of human capacity, Salako declared: “Machines without people are monuments.”
He stressed that every linear accelerator installed in Nigeria must be supported by trained personnel, effective maintenance systems and sustainable technical support.
“Nigeria is ready, our plan is costed, our partners are welcome, and the patients are waiting,” the minister said, urging stakeholders to ensure that oncology innovation translated into tangible improvements in patient care.
The latest initiative is being implemented under the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030, which prioritises prevention, decentralised diagnosis and treatment, financial protection, oncology workforce development, clinical trials and cancer registries.
The Minister said the emerging Nigeria-China collaboration would ultimately seek to build domestic capacity capable of sustaining, servicing and eventually manufacturing cancer technologies locally, rather than leaving the country dependent solely on imported equipment.
Source: https://www.naijnewsalert.com.ng/
