…rising costs limit access to treatment
In 2021, Priscillia Kojo, a Nigerian nurse, moved from the bedside to the operating table after a breast cancer diagnosis. Following a mastectomy and a subsequent recurrence, she considered selling her belongings to raise money for chemotherapy.
“I have used up all my savings,” Kojo said. She now faces a N3 million bill for her next round of treatment, a sum she cannot pay.
Kojo’s struggle reveals a widening gap in Nigerian healthcare. As the country grapples with double-digit inflation and a weakened currency, the cost of surviving breast cancer has disconnected entirely from the economic reality of its citizens. The minimum cost of treatment now stands at 72 times the national minimum wage, transforming a treatable medical condition into a financial death sentence for the majority of the population.
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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria records about 88 new breast cancer cases daily. Yet, as of 2025, only 27 cancer centres are serving a population of nearly 250 million people, a figure experts say is grossly inadequate.
Ify Nwabuku, president of the African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association (AWCAA), also shared how challenging it was for her mother to access care due to financial constraints and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“I never knew the burden African women face in trying to access breast cancer care in the US until my mum was diagnosed,” she said during an event in Abuja on February 4, World Cancer Day.
Promise Ihezie, chief operating officer and breast cancer advocate at the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), said limited access to care and high treatment costs are major drivers of rising breast cancer cases, further endangering patients’ survival.
“About 90 percent to 95 percent of breast cancer patients cannot afford treatment due to high costs, both in terms of access and finances,” he said.
“The average cost of breast cancer treatment in Nigeria ranges between N5 million and N40 million, depending on the type of care and the stage of the cancer,” Ihezie added. “From chemotherapy and radiotherapy to surgery and drugs, the out-of-pocket payments are far too high for individuals to bear,” Ihezie explained.
“Each session costs between N40,000 and N45,000, and it is recommended at least twice a year,” Emuoghoke Emonena-Solotan, a breast cancer advocate at BRECAN said.
“I visited several public hospitals in Ibadan to get a mammogram, but hardly found any. Only two facilities offer the service, and they are privately owned,” she added.
The recent cancer control capacity and needs assessment report by IARC (2025) highlighted how insufficient cancer treatment facilities are undermining progress in the war against cancer in the country.
Only 15 radiotherapy machines exist in tertiary hospitals across Nigeria, with some centres non-functional and inadequate for a population of 223 million people.
Reasons for high cost of treatment
The lack of comprehensive insurance coverage, low investment in cancer care, high out-of-pocket payments, poor infrastructure, skill gaps, and high maintenance costs are major reasons for the high cost of treatment, according to experts.
“Nigeria’s Health Insurance Scheme does not provide comprehensive coverage for cancer patients,” Ihezie noted.
Some experts note that a single cancer treatment machine, such as an MRI scanner, costs between N375 million and N1 billion, and when it breaks down, maintenance costs are often very high.
“Most of these machines are very expensive, and because the government subsidises costs, it cannot afford to fix them when they malfunction,” James Afolarin, a medical doctor, noted.
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What’s the way forward?
Provision of comprehensive insurance coverage would be a major leap for breast cancer patients in Nigeria, experts say.
Nigeria needs to invest heavily in cancer care, it’s not just about getting foreigners to invest for profits, Ihezie noted. He stressed that Nigeria must draw up a dedicated national budget for cancer care to reduce treatment costs, as most citizens still cannot afford services at newly commissioned cancer treatment centres. According to him, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) must step in to subsidise these costs.
Ihezie also pointed out that the current national cancer treatment fund is not comprehensive enough, as it targets only one teaching hospital per region, which is insufficient for Nigeria’s large population.
Experts further emphasised the importance of equipping Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) with basic diagnostic tools to ensure early detection and reduce late presentation of cases. “PHCs should at least be able to carry out mammograms to increase early detection rates in Nigeria,” Emonena-Solotan said. She added that “religious leaders and clerics should create more awareness by encouraging their followers to regularly go for check-ups.”
Similarly, Ify Nwabuku, president of AWCAA, highlighted community outreach as a critical strategy for awareness creation. “Community outreach is key to creating awareness because it gives us a platform where we can educate our women,” she said.
Global incidence cases
Breast cancer incidence and mortality vary widely across regions, reflecting differences in healthcare access and quality. In Africa, incidence is highest in Algeria, Morocco, Namibia, Mauritius and Nigeria, while Nigeria records the highest mortality, highlighting gaps in early detection and treatment.
In Asia, Israel, Japan and Singapore lead in incidence, but mortality remains lowest in countries with stronger health systems such as Japan and South Korea. Europe reports some of the world’s highest incidence rates, notably in France and Cyprus, yet relatively low mortality due to effective screening and care. In Latin America and the Caribbean, disparities persist, while North America combines a high incidence with low mortality because of advanced healthcare infrastructure.
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Government Efforts
Beyond establishing a National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NiCRAT), the Federal Government is expanding cancer care through the National Cancer Fund. It is also establishing new treatment centres in Katsina, Enugu and Edo, while upgrading existing facilities. However, experts say these efforts are still insufficient to curb the rising incidence of breast cancer in Nigeria.
