President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment and upgrade of six federal oncology centres across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Olusegun Dada, the special assistant to the president on social media said the approval is part of a major push to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care, and reduce medical tourism.
According Dada, ghe initiative, valued at approximately N37.4 billion, is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
It builds on the earlier success of demonstration projects such as the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre and aims to establish a broader network of modern oncology and nuclear medicine facilities.
The six approved cancer treatment centres are:
1 University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City
2 Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria
3 Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina (FTHK)
4 University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu (Nsukka)
5 Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)
6 Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos
These facilities are equipped with advanced technology, including linear accelerators and other radiotherapy and diagnostic tools, to provide comprehensive cancer care closer to patients nationwide.
As of mid-2025, three of the six centres have been completed and commissioned.
The facilities at Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, and University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin.
The Katsina centre features cutting-edge TrueBeam technology for precise and efficient radiation therapy.
The commissionings represent tangible progress in the administration’s healthcare agenda.
A video footage shared by Dada also showed the physical commissioning showing officials, health workers, and community leaders celebrating the milestone.
