The Federal Government has expanded financial support for cancer patients through targeted health funds and insurance initiatives, while ramping up investments in local research, drug production, and clinical trials to improve access to affordable cancer care.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Prof. Usman Malami, disclosed this at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology Africa 2026 conference held in Abuja, according to presentation slides obtained on Monday.
The conference, organised in collaboration with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer, was themed: “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care.”
Malami said the Federal Government had introduced several interventions to reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment, acknowledging that the cost of care remained beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
He explained that the Catastrophic Health Fund, domiciled under the National Health Insurance Authority, subsidises cancer prevention, diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for eligible patients.
