The Nigerian government has strengthened its partnership with China to expand cancer care through technology transfer, professional training, research and expansion of radiotherapy capacity.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this while delivering the opening address at the LINK Global Summit on Innovation and Practice in Oncology at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing, China.

This is according to a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The statement added that Nigeria also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with LinaTech, a Chinese company specialising in advanced radiation therapy solutions.

Cancer burden

Salako said cancer remained a national priority, noting that Nigeria recorded an estimated 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 deaths in 2022.

He said breast, prostate and cervical cancers accounted for more than 40 per cent of cancer mortality in the country.

According to the minister, Nigeria’s mortality-to-incidence ratio improved from 62.3 per cent in 2022 to 59.6 per cent in 2024, although he acknowledged that “significant work remained to be done.”

He said the government had, since May 2023, accelerated interventions across cancer prevention, awareness, early detection, treatment, financing, infrastructure, and research.

Salako cited the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into routine immunisation in October 2023, saying more than 14 million girls aged nine to 14 years had been reached.

He also mentioned the National Initiative for Cancer Early Detection, Screening and Coordinated Access to Network Care (NICE-SCAN), as well as initiatives of the Task Force for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, as part of efforts to improve early detection and referral.

China partnership

The minister said the emerging partnership with China would provide technical assistance in radiotherapy, support joint research and development, facilitate academic exchanges, and build professional capacity.

He said Nigeria was a founding African partner of the LINK Global Oncology Alliance and had also participated in the inauguration of the Radiotherapy Working Group of the China-Africa Hospital Alliance.

Salako said Nigeria wanted the cooperation agreement to result in a joint work plan with designated focal persons and quarterly milestones.

“We want to see the twinning of our cancer centres of excellence, the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment(NICRAT), and our tertiary hospitals like the National Hospital, Abuja, with the Chinese cancer hospitals,” he said.

He also called for the establishment of a designated clinical training base in Nigeria to serve as a West African hub for advanced radiotherapy training.

He said Nigerian radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiotherapy technologists and biomedical engineers should also have opportunities for fellowship training in China.

Beyond equipment

Salako said Nigeria’s long-term objective was not simply to acquire cancer equipment but to develop the technical and human capacity required to install, maintain and eventually manufacture cancer technologies locally.

“Machines without people are monuments,” he said, stressing that trained personnel, maintenance systems and sustainable technical support must back every linear accelerator installed.

He said Nigeria would also pursue 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 collaborations by 2030.

The minister said the government’s incentives for health manufacturing, including zero-duty and zero-VAT measures, provided an enabling environment for investment in local production and technology transfer.

Cancer treatment, research

Mr Salako said six cancer centres of excellence were being developed, with three already completed and commissioned in Katsina, Enugu and Benin.

He said the centres were equipped with modern linear accelerators, while work on the remaining three was progressing.

He also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the procurement and installation of 35 additional linear accelerators between 2026 and 2028 to expand access to radiotherapy further.

The minister said the government had also strengthened NICRAT, which had trained about 140 early-career cancer scientists and supported 24 research grants.

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He identified the National Cancer Access Programme, Catastrophic Health Insurance Scheme, National Cancer Health Fund, and Social Determinants of Cancer Care Fund as mechanisms to improve access to cancer medicines and care while alleviating the financial burden on patients and families.

Salako said the interventions were being implemented under the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030, which prioritises prevention, decentralised diagnosis and treatment, financial risk protection, oncology workforce development, clinical trials and cancer registries.

He also mentioned the recent inauguration of the Blood Cancer Consortium as part of efforts to enhance coordination in the national cancer-control response.

He stated that the government aimed for the China partnership to help translate oncology innovations into tangible improvements in patient care.

“Innovation in oncology is meaningful only where it reaches the patient. Let this summit be remembered not for what was displayed, but for what was delivered. Nigeria is ready, our plan is costed, our partners are welcome, and the patients are waiting,” he said.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday began offering free hydrocele surgeries to affected residents across the six Area Councils.

Teresa Nwachukwu, Director of the FCT Public Health Department, stated that the intervention would enable access to surgical care for those unable to afford treatment.

Nwachukwu, represented by Ngozi Ebisike, Head of the Disease Control Division, spoke at the flag-off ceremony at Kubwa General Hospital.

She said hydrocele, although medically treatable, could affect mobility, productivity, family life, self-esteem, and social participation.

According to her, some patients live with the condition for years, enduring pain, discomfort, stigma, and embarrassment, while believing that nothing could be done.

She stated that the FCTA intervention would offer affected residents access to safe, high-quality surgical care.

The FCT government, through the Department of Public Health and Disease Control, acknowledges IHS Towers, The END Fund, Christian Blind Mission (CBM), and HANDS Division for their partnership,” she said.

They remain dedicated to enhancing the prevention, detection, and treatment of neglected tropical diseases and their complications.

Lami Ndayako, FCT Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), praised the partners, especially IHS Towers, for their support in eliminating NTDs in the territory.

She said IHS Towers, through The END Fund, has been a strategic partner in advancing NTD elimination efforts in the FCT since 2024.

Ms Ndayako stated that the organisation had invested approximately ₦114 million in the programme over the past three years.

According to her, the support has enhanced preventive and morbidity management interventions for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.

She said the programme supported mass distribution of ivermectin for onchocerciasis in two Area Councils, reaching communities with more than 400,000 doses.

Ms Ndayako stated that over 600 community case finders had also been trained to identify and refer individuals living with hydrocele and lymphoedema for surgery and treatment.

She stated that more than 210 hydrocele surgeries have been successfully performed over the past three years.

Earlier, Joseph Kumbur, NTDs Specialist at CBM International, stated that the 2026 surgery exercise would be carried out across the six Area Councils before the end of October.

Kumbur stated that the FCT was endemic for six NTDs, including river blindness and schistosomiasis.

He stated that interventions against river blindness had been ongoing since 1995, noting that the FCT had previously had a high prevalence of the disease.

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Damian Udeh, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at IHS Towers, stated that the organisation was committed to supporting the communities in which it operated.

Udeh, represented by Jumai Adeika, an officer of the organisation, stated that supporting initiatives that enhance lives, strengthen communities, and promote sustainable development remained among its objectives.

He praised the FCT government, health workers, surgeons, community teams, CBM, The END Fund, and other stakeholders for their contributions to the programme.

“We are especially pleased with the progress achieved through this programme and the number of beneficiaries who have already received surgical care,” he said. (NAN)