ABUJA, Nigeria – After more than 30 months of planning, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has launched nine priority cancer projects designed to fix systemic gaps across diagnosis, treatment, and patient care pathways.
The projects, unveiled on Tuesday under the Abuja City Cancer Programme, are built on a city-wide needs assessment that identified weaknesses in imaging, pathology, radiotherapy, laboratory services, systemic therapy, and surgical care.
Health officials say the intervention comes amid a rising cancer burden and high out-of-pocket spending, which remains one of the biggest barriers to treatment access in Nigeria.
Mandate Secretary for Health Services, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the programme marks a shift from policy design to implementation.
Data from programme partners show that late diagnosis and treatment abandonment are among the leading drivers of poor cancer outcomes—issues the initiative aims to reduce through coordinated care and patient navigation systems.
Abuja joined the global City Cancer Challenge network in 2023, enabling technical support to strengthen equitable cancer care delivery.
The programme aligns with Nigeria’s National Cancer Control Plan (2026–2030), which prioritises early detection and integrated treatment systems.
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