The President of the Nigeria Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi said no less than sixteen states in Nigeria are without single oncologist while Borno and Gombe share one.
Omonisi declared this at the inaugural Science of Advanced Prostate Cancer (SoAPCA) Conference in Lagos, a state he said has 50 oncologists.
The general shortage of oncologists in the country, alongside radiation machine the expert said, are responsible for worsening late presentation and poor cancer outcomes sufferers face.
“As we speak now, there are 16 states in Nigeria with no single radiation or clinical oncologist. And you cannot talk about cancer care without them. They are the ones who know the drugs, who direct radiotherapy, who guide treatment. Can you imagine? Sixteen states without one?
“In Gombe, one oncologist sometimes starts clinic in the morning and closes around 10 p.m. because he is also covering Maiduguri. Meanwhile, Lagos alone has almost 50 percent of all oncologists in the country. The imbalance is dangerous,” he affirmed.
The worrying situation he stressed occasioned Nigerian men presenting prostate cancer at late stages, including elites and political leaders: “A state governor was diagnosed only when his prostate cancer had already advanced.”
The professor blamed government’s inadequate funding for cancer for the plight, saying, “In the 2025 federal budget, only ₦150 million was set aside for cancer treatment across breast, cervical, and prostate cancers. That is shamefully small compared to the burden.”
