Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have called for stronger Pan-African collaboration, increased investment in cancer research and expanded financial protection for patients to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment across Africa.
The call was made at the 2026 Best of ASCO Africa Conference in Abuja, where oncologists, researchers, policymakers and development partners examined the latest global advances in cancer care and discussed ways to adapt them to African healthcare systems.
Co-Chair of the Best of ASCO Africa Initiative and Breast Medical Oncologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Abiola Falilat Ibrahim, said African countries must work together to close the persistent gap in cancer care by expanding access to innovative therapies and modern treatment technologies.
Dr. Ibrahim, who also serves as Vice-President, North America of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), noted that significant disparities remain between cancer treatment available in developed countries and what is accessible to many patients across Africa.
Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Professor Usman Malami Aliyu, said Nigeria is leveraging global scientific breakthroughs to strengthen cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment in line with the conference theme, “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery.”
He said the conference offers experts an opportunity to translate cutting-edge research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting into practical solutions that address Nigeria’s healthcare needs.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Lolade Adeyemi, disclosed that the Federal Government is developing additional financial protection mechanisms for cancer patients through the Cancer Health Fund and the Social Determinants of Health Fund.
On research, Breast Cancer Surgeon and Immediate Past President of AORTIC, Dr. Miriam Mutebi, expressed concern that Africa contributes only about eight per cent of global cancer research despite the continent’s growing cancer burden.
The 2026 Best of ASCO Africa Conference brought together leading oncologists, researchers, policymakers and healthcare professionals from across the continent to review recent advances in cancer management and strengthen collaboration aimed at improving cancer care and survival rates in Africa.