The federal government has said it is expanding funding, local drug production and research to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment while easing patients’ financial burden.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Usman Aliyu, said this on Saturday in Abuja at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Africa 2026 conference.
The conference, organised in collaboration with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), has the theme: “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care.”
Mr Aliyu said the government had introduced measures to make cancer care more affordable, although treatment remained beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
He said the Catastrophic Health Fund under the National Health Insurance Authority subsidised cancer prevention, diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for eligible patients.
