Minister Seeks Private Sector Alliance Against Cancer Crisis

By Gbodiyan Oluwakemi Karen, Abuja

Nigeria  has underscored the importance of partnering with the private sector to find lasting solutions to the scourge of cancer in the country.

The minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, spoke on this on Wednesday in Abuja at a two-day stakeholders’ engagement and capacity building programme organised by Innova Healthcare Nigeria Ltd, with the theme, “Innova Healthcare Nigeria Bringing the Total Oncology Solution.”

Represented by the national coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Dr Uche Nwokwu, the minister said the government could not do it alone, hence the need to partner for greater result.

According to him, partnerships remained central to achieving Nigeria’s cancer control targets, aiming total eradication.

“We also rely on collaborations with our partners to improve access to cancer care in Nigeria,” he said.

Salako said the National Cancer Control Plan aimed to reduce Nigeria’s cancer burden by 50 per cent by 2030 through improved screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship interventions.

He said the Cancer Access Partnership Programme, an initiative of the Federal Government, is currently providing anti-cancer medicines at subsidised rates in more than 24 hospitals nationwide, this he said, would greatly enable patients with low income or less privilege to have access to medical facilities.

“The problem is not just treatment. Some patients struggle with transportation, accommodation and feeding costs, which significantly increase the burden of care”, he explained.

The director-general, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Aliyu, said the private sector remained indispensable to strengthening healthcare systems, expanding access to life-saving technologies and reducing Nigeria’s cancer burden.

According to him, meaningful progress in cancer control requires strategic partnerships, innovation and sustained investments across the entire cancer care continuum.

“Today’s activities give an insight into what Innova is doing. Indirectly, it is a kind of human resource development and assistance to the country in strengthening the operational capability of doctors”, Aliyu said.

Also, the business development director of Innova Healthcare Nigeria Ltd., Mr Wong Kai Yan, said the company was committed to improving cancer treatment outcomes and bridging critical gaps in oncology care.

Yan said Nigeria faced shortages in radiotherapy equipments and specialised personnel, including radiation oncologists, medical physicists, oncology nurses and radiation therapists.

“We are here to bridge the two countries together, to bridge the two worlds together, to make sure we are able to deliver healthcare much better.”

The chief financial officer, Mr. Ikenna Njoku, said the initiative would help reduce medical tourism and make cancer treatment more affordable for Nigerians