President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to inaugurate three newly completed cancer treatment centres on Thursday, located in Katsina, Benin, and Nsukka.
These centres are part of a broader initiative involving the construction and upgrade of six oncology centres across the country. In March 2024, President Tinubu approved the National Sovereign Investment Authority’s (NSIA) participation in revamping oncology services at six Federal University Teaching Hospitals, each located in different geo-political zones.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, had set a completion timeframe of 18 to 20 months for these Centres of Excellence.
The three centres now ready for commissioning are situated at:
- Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina
- University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka
- University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City
Their launch marks a key step in fulfilling the President’s commitment to address the cancer crisis in Nigeria.
The second phase will include centres at:
- Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria
- University of Jos Teaching Hospital
- Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba
President Tinubu had earlier pledged not to abandon projects inherited from previous administrations. The involvement of NSIA in this oncology initiative became critical after years of stagnation, with inflation and rising medical costs making delays unsustainable.
According to national health statistics, cancer was the fourth leading cause of death in Nigeria as of 2022, with 5,912 fatalities out of 8,114 diagnosed cases.
To address this urgent healthcare challenge, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NSIA, and the six Federal University Teaching Hospitals, following the NSIA Board’s endorsement of the project.
