The Federal Government has commenced the construction of six Cancer Centres of Excellence across the country’s six geopolitical zones in a strategic push to improve early detection, treatment, and management of cancer cases.

 

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Isiaq Salako, made the disclosure in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the launch of the OncoSeek Cancer Screening Test at a workshop aimed at developing Nigeria’s National Nuclear Medicine Guidelines and Policy.

 

“We are implementing programmes cutting across prevention, treatment, and control, including the ongoing construction of six cancer centres of excellence across the six geopolitical zones,” Salako stated. He added that FMC Abeokuta has been selected as a beneficiary in the second phase of the project under the 2025 federal budget.

 

Dr. Salako noted that three of the six centres are nearing completion, while additional funding has been earmarked in the 2025 budget for expansion and equipment upgrades. He also announced the establishment of a National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, a dedicated agency to spearhead cancer research and policy implementation in Nigeria.

 

Highlighting the burden of cancer in the country, Salako emphasized the importance of early diagnosis:

 

“A key challenge of cancer care in our country is late detection and presentation. Many cancers mimic other diseases and often go undetected until it’s too late.”

 

 

 

As part of the response, the government has introduced the OncoSeek test, a blood-based screening tool capable of early detection of nine high-mortality cancers including breast, colon, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, stomach, lymphoma, and esophageal cancers.

 

Salako described OncoSeek as a game-changer that can identify patients needing further definitive diagnostic procedures:

 

 

“Screening services that can detect cancers early or even at the precancerous stage are an important mechanism in the prevention and control of cancer.”

 

 

 

In addition, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating nuclear medicine into cancer care. The Technical Working Group on Nuclear Medicine Guidelines and Policy, inaugurated in February, is expected to provide a framework to harness the full potential of nuclear medicine in cancer treatment.

 

“I want to assure the team that their recommendations will be implemented in their entirety,” he pledged.

 

 

 

The government’s multi-pronged approach marks a significant step toward reducing Nigeria’s growing cancer burden and improving survival outcomes through timely diagnosis and modern treatment.