The Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, stated on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, that the newly approved ₦302.3 billion flagship National Cancer Institute will transform oncology care in Nigeria and drastically reduce the massive foreign exchange lost annually to overseas medical tourism.
The approval for the project, which encompasses the design, construction, furnishing, equipping, supervision, and commissioning of the state-of-the-art facility over a 36-month timeline, was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held last week at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
In an official statement issued on Tuesday from the NICRAT Headquarters in Utako, Abuja, and signed by the Institute’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, Prof. Aliyu described the Federal Government’s bold intervention under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a major “game changer” for the country’s health sector.
”Over the years, cancer has remained a nightmare to most Nigerians as successive governments could not demonstrate capacity to address issues around the dearth of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research in the country,” Prof. Aliyu noted. “Chief among the benefits of this new project is that it will drastically reduce medical tourism by Nigerians affected by cancer, saving millions of dollars spent annually abroad.”
Prof. Aliyu added that rather than losing capital, Nigeria will now be positioned to generate foreign exchange by serving as a premier destination for advanced cancer care and research for patients across the African continent.
highlights outlined by the NICRAT leadership include; A total commitment of ₦302.3 billion aimed at completing the world-class facility within 36 months. The institute will function as a reference hub for training and retraining African oncology experts, building local workforce capacity, and executing precision medicine research.
The milestone follows the successful completion of upgraded cancer treatment facilities in Katsina, Benin, and Enugu.
NICRAT expressed gratitude to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako; and Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, for their persistent advocacy.
The management and staff of NICRAT reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with relevant MDAs, state governments, development partners, and civil society organizations to ensure the seamless execution of the landmark project.
