The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) in collaboration with African Cancer Registry Network (AFCRN), has trained 24 cancer registrars and data managers.

This is in an effort to improve the quality and accuracy of cancer data in the 19 northern states of the federation.

The training, which was held in Bauchi State weekend, brought together 24 cancer registrars, data managers and coders from the 19 northern states of Nigeria.

The training was with the aim of strengthening their capacity in standardize cancer registration processes, coding, staging and data management.

Speaking while declaring the training open, the Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, disclosed that the training was targeted at enhancing the capacity of cancer registrars and data managers in order to improve the quality, accuracy and completeness of cancer registration in the 19 states of northern Nigeria.

Represented by the Head, Nigerian Cancer Registry, Prof. Sani A. Malami, the NICRAT Director General, charged participants at the training to take advantage of the capacity building to improve their knowledge on how to gather reliable cancer data for decision making in Nigeria.

The NICRAT DG further noted that similar trainings have been conducted for cancer registrars and data managers from other geopolitical zones of the country.

He stressed that NICRAT is determined to improve cancer situation in the country through the training and retraining of experts across all spectrums of the medical professions in the country.

Prof. Malami disclosed that the Institute has so far trained over 1600 medical and health professionals in the six geopolitical zones of the country in various aspects of cancer care.

Speaking, the Coordinator, AFCRN, Oxford UK, Prof Max Parkin, emphasized the need to strengthen cancer registration in Nigeria, especially on data quality for better representation at the global publications.

While applauding NICRAT for the collaboration, he charged all cancer registrars in the country “to go through the GICR e-learning course on cancer registration so as to be equipped with the needed information, knowledge and capacity to strengthen cancer registration in Nigeria.”

On her part, the Acting Director, Cancer Surveillance and Monitoring at NICRAT, Dr Joy Iya-Benson, appreciated the registrars for participating in the training which is targeted at enhancing their capacity on cancer registration, especially, on data quality.

She lamented that cancer is a growing concern in Nigeria, hence, the need to strengthen surveillance system which, according to her, include building the capacity of the Population-Based Cancer registries.

Dr. Joy further explained that the training was deliberately put together to build the capacity of the cancer registrars on data abstraction, coding, staging, and analysis in line with the National Cancer Registry standards.

“Additionally, the training was aimed at improving their proficiency in the use of relevant software, standard operating manual and building survival analysis. All these were geared towards achieving high-quality, complete and timely cancer registry records that support research and policy for decision-making,” she said.