Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has launched Project STRAWN, a workforce-readiness initiative designed to strengthen Nigeria’s radiotherapy workforce pipeline and improve access to quality cancer treatment across the country.
Project STRAWN—Strengthening Radiation Therapy Workforce in Nigeria—was inaugurated in Abuja on Thursday as stakeholders warned that a severe shortage of trained radiotherapy professionals continues to limit cancer care delivery nationwide.
The initiative is led by the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and OncoClinics Africa with support from Siemens Healthineers and several professional and regulatory bodies.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, described the programme as a timely intervention aligned with Nigeria’s cancer-control priorities.
“It is a timely and important contribution to Nigeria’s cancer-control priorities, particularly its focus on workforce development, regulated progression, patient safety and improved returns on national radiotherapy investments,” he said.
Stakeholders disclosed that Nigeria currently has fewer than 80 licensed radiotherapy professionals serving approximately 12 operational linear accelerators nationwide.
With more than 120,000 new cancer cases recorded annually, experts say workforce shortages remain one of the biggest barriers to effective cancer treatment.
Principal Investigator of Project STRAWN, Nwamaka Lasebikan, said the programme provides a structured pathway for developing a competent and regulated radiotherapy workforce.
“Nigeria is investing in radiotherapy infrastructure, but machines do not treat patients by themselves. We need a competent, supervised, quality-conscious workforce that can support safe service delivery today while progressing into full certification tomorrow,” she said.
According to Lasebikan, the initiative includes an advanced training programme for certified therapy radiographers and a six-month competency-based bridge programme for fresh graduates.
The programme combines classroom instruction, supervised clinical practice, competency assessment, patient communication training and quality assurance practices.
Chief Executive Officer of OncoClinics Africa, Zahi El Khatib, said addressing workforce shortages is essential for maximising investments in cancer treatment infrastructure.
UNTH Chief Medical Director, Obinna Onodugo, described the initiative as a strategic partnership that will strengthen local capacity and improve patient access to cancer care.
About the Author
Hussaini Ibrahim 
Korede Abdullah 