The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, NICRAT, has called for a strategic national ambition: to close critical gaps in Nigeria’s cancer research ecosystem and empower institutions to conduct transformative research with real-world health outcomes.
The call was made at the conclusion of a five-day intensive workshop aimed at strengthening institutional capacity for cancer research and implementation in the country, in Ile-Ife on Thursday.
The capacity-building event, themed “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Cancer Research and Implementation, SINCCAR,”; brought together researchers, oncologists, and healthcare professionals across South-West Nigeria.
Speaking during the final day of the workshop on Friday, NICRAT's Director of Research and Innovation, Dr. Nwamaka Lasebikan, said, *”This phase of the SINCCAR project is all about building capacity.
“It is designed to address the specific institutional gaps identified in earlier assessments, and this current training forms the second phase of our three-part project.”;*
According to her, the SINCCAR project comprises an assessment of institutional capacity and gap identification, capacity-building training for researchers across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, and grant provision to support the implementation of cancer research projects.
The initiative, she emphasised, is not merely academic, adding that “it is a bridge between research and real-life public health interventions.”;
Speaking at the event, Professor Olusegun Alatise, NICRAT’s South-West Coordinator, reiterated the importance of homegrown expertise and commitment.
“We have made up our minds to stay here and fix what needs fixing,”; he said.
“We must raise a new generation of researchers who share this vision and can drive improvements in cancer care quality across the country.”;
Established under the NICRAT Establishment Act of 2017, the Institute plays a pivotal role in leading national efforts in cancer prevention, treatment, and research.
It also coordinates with healthcare providers and scientific institutions to foster innovation and improve outcomes.
Beyond training individuals, the SINCCAR project is viewed as a long-term investment in Nigeria’s fight against cancer.
By bolstering institutional capacity, providing targeted education, and funding promising research, NICRAT aims to create a ripple effect that can significantly reduce the cancer burden across the nation.
As Nigeria charts a future in which cancer is no longer a death sentence, efforts like SINCCAR offer a glimmer of hope — and a roadmap for action.
With over 220 million people, Nigeria bears the largest population in Africa, and the toll of non-communicable diseases — particularly cancer — is growing.
According to the 2022 International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Nigeria records nearly 128,000 new cancer cases annually, a figure experts say may rise without urgent, coordinated responses.
Among Nigerian men, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers top the list. For women, breast cancer remains the most common, with an estimated 32,200 new cases and over 16,300 deaths per year.
Cervical cancer follows closely, claiming thousands of lives despite being largely preventable.
