Nigeria Targets 30% Cancer Burden Reduction by 2030, Explores CAR-T Cell Therapy Adoption
Key Insights
Nigeria's Federal Government commits to reducing the national cancer (search) burden by at least 30% by 2030 under the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan (2026–2030), covering prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and research.
Africa faces 1.19 million new cancer (search) cases and over 721,000 cancer-related deaths annually per GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, with Nigeria accounting for approximately 10.5% of the continent's burden.
The government is simultaneously exploring adoption of CAR-T cell therapy (search) through partnerships with Caring Cross (search) to enable local manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign facilities.
Nigeria's Federal Government has announced an ambitious target to reduce the country's cancer (search) burden by at least 30% by 2030, while simultaneously exploring the adoption of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to bring advanced cellular and gene-based treatments to Nigerian patients.
Speaking at the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (search) (AORTIC) Best of ASCO Africa 2026 conference in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, outlined the government's strategy under the Nigeria National Cancer (search) Control Plan (2026–2030). The plan encompasses cancer prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, research, data management, artificial intelligence, workforce development, partnerships, and resource mobilisation.
"The burden is not an intractable fate; it is a solvable problem," Salako said, citing Global Cancer (search) Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2024 estimates of 1.19 million new cancer cases and more than 721,000 cancer-related deaths across Africa annually. Nigeria accounts for approximately 10.5% of Africa's cancer burden, ranking among the three countries with the highest number of cases alongside Egypt and South Africa.
National Cancer (search) Control Plan and Implementation
A National Technical Working Group comprising cancer (search) survivors, clinicians, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector has been inaugurated to drive implementation using an implementation science approach. Salako urged African cancer experts to replicate global oncology research within local settings rather than adopting findings from other regions without validation, advocating for what he termed "Healthcare Pan-Africanism" — collaboration across African countries in cancer research, education, advocacy, and resource sharing.
Advancing Precision Medicine Through Genomics
Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (search) (NICRAT), reported that the institute has trained approximately 140 early-career scientists through its Strengthening Institutional Capacity in Cancer (search) Research (SINCA) programme and awarded research grants to 24 young investigators. NICRAT has also upgraded laboratories in tertiary hospitals with modern research equipment and recently completed the first phase of Nigeria's Cancer Genome Study, which seeks to identify genetic mutations responsible for the aggressive nature of common cancers among Nigerians, laying the foundation for precision medicine and targeted therapies.
Additionally, the Federal Government has upgraded eight cancer (search) centres, with three already equipped with new linear accelerators and advanced diagnostic equipment, while procurement is ongoing for additional facilities.
CAR-T Cell Therapy (search): A New Frontier
At a separate ministerial interaction on emerging international technologies held in Abuja, Dr Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, addressed the government's exploration of CAR-T cell therapy (search) and related gene technologies. "Across Africa, for far too long, our people are deprived of new and innovative treatments due to a lack of engagement with the potentials in our setting," he said, noting that Africa remains the only continent yet to deploy CAR-T cell therapy at scale.
The initiative involves collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (search) (NIPRD). Dr Obi Adigwe, Director-General of NIPRD, emphasised that research and innovation remain central to addressing Nigeria's health challenges. "At the heart of these presidential initiatives lies research and scientific innovation to develop capacities to solve contextual issues, especially in our most neglected diseases and settings," Adigwe said.
Dr Boro Dropulic, Executive Director of Caring Cross (search) — a non-profit organisation focused on advancing cellular and gene-based medicines — described CAR-T therapy as a potentially curative, one-time treatment. "These are one-time therapies. You don't need to take the medicine continuously. You receive your own cells, and then you're cured of the disease in those situations," Dropulic explained. The technology modifies a patient's own cells to restore their ability to fight diseases, functioning as a form of regenerative medicine.
Caring Cross (search)'s model focuses on technology transfer to enable local production of therapies within hospitals and specialised facilities, including training healthcare workers, supporting infrastructure development, and enabling local manufacturing of critical components. "By making it locally, you can get these therapies more quickly to patients within a much shorter time," Dropulic said, adding that local manufacturing would build skilled manpower, strengthen supply chains, reduce reliance on imports, create high-value jobs, reduce medical tourism, and position Nigeria as a regional hub for advanced healthcare innovation.
Barriers to Cancer (search) Care in Africa
Dr Miriam Mutebi, Conference Chair and immediate past President of AORTIC, highlighted persistent challenges in cancer (search) care delivery across the continent. She noted that many cancers are preventable and curable when detected early, yet most African patients present with advanced disease and often fail to complete treatment due to high out-of-pocket costs. Patients in Africa typically consult between four and six healthcare providers before receiving a definitive cancer diagnosis, underscoring the need to strengthen primary healthcare workers' capacity to identify cancer early.
Dr Abiola Ibrahim, Conference Chair and AORTIC North America Vice-President, noted that while oncology continues to witness breakthroughs in immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and precision medicine, many African patients remain unable to access these innovations. The conference aimed to bridge the gap between global scientific discoveries and access to quality cancer (search) care in Africa.