Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda Delivers Lifeline For Cancer Patients Across Nigeria
In what could be a turning point for cancer care in Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned three state-of-the-art Oncology Cancer Centres in Katsina, Enugu, and Benin a move hailed by health experts as a giant leap towards achieving medical industrialisation and ending medical tourism.
Speaking at the simultaneous commissioning ceremonies, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu is not only improving healthcare but actively positioning Nigeria for medical industrialisation by creating the right environment for local production of drugs and equipment.
“What President Tinubu is doing is not just about improving Medicare, but about ensuring that Nigeria begins to manufacture what it needs in the medical field,” Idris stated.
The centres, located at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu, and University of Benin Teaching Hospital, were described as world-class facilities that now provide Nigerians with affordable, high-quality cancer treatment without the need to travel abroad.
“Today, if you travel out for cancer care, it’s a personal choice not because there’s no facility here,” Idris said during the Enugu commissioning, where he described the installed equipment as among the best globally.
The Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Ali Pate, revealed that Nigeria records around 127,000 new cancer cases and 80,000 cancer-related deaths annually.
He said the new centres would nearly double the country’s treatment capacity overnight and form part of a broader cancer response strategy including the training of 500 specialised clinicians and the expansion of diagnostic capacity to reach 350,000 people annually.
To ease financial pressure on affected families, Prof. Pate added that the 2025 budget includes provisions under the Catastrophic Health Insurance Fund to support households facing the economic burden of cancer.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said Tinubu’s focused leadership is ensuring projects are no longer trapped in the pipeline but are now being executed across sectors to drive economic growth, create jobs, and lift Nigerians out of poverty.
While the Enugu centre was not newly built, it has been significantly upgraded to meet global standards.
The cancer centres, officials said, are a product of collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments, and private partners showcasing what is possible under a united vision for equitable and accessible healthcare.
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