NICRAT Committed to Provide Leadership, Evidence-Driven Direction for Cancer Control – Prof. Malami

The Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, has restated the commitment of his Institute to providing strategic leadership, technical coordination, and evidence-driven direction for cancer control in Nigeria.

He made the commitment at the official rollout of Cervical Cancer Screening Programme hosted by the National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination under the coordination of NICRAT, in Imo State, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

It would be recalled that NICRAT constituted the National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination in 2024, primarily for the purpose of operationalizing a national policy document on the elimination of cervical cancer in Nigeria in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) agenda to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

The National Taskforce under the leadership of Prof. Isaac Adewale, formed the Partnership for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN), comprising government, Civil Society Organisations, states, local and international partners to implement the National Cervical Cancer Screening Programme.

According to Prof. Malami, “today’s ceremony marks the commencement of an ambitious yet necessary target: to screen at least 10,000 women across Imo State, while simultaneously strengthening the state’s capacity to scale and institutionalize routine cervical cancer screening services.

“This initiative is firmly aligned with global best practices and the targets set by the WHO under the 90-70-90 strategy for cervical cancer elimination.

“By expanding screening coverage and strengthening subnational health systems, we are contributing to global elimination targets while ensuring that impact is felt where it matters most within communities.”

He, therefore, called for sustained commitment from critical stakeholders, stressing: “Let us therefore remain deliberate and unwavering in our efforts to ensure that no woman in Imo State, and indeed across Nigeria, dies from a disease that is both preventable and treatable.”

The NICRAT Director General expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda, he said, created the political will and policy framework that makes bold public health interventions such as this possible.

He noted that: “It is under this agenda that health equity, preventive care, and investment in Nigerian lives have been repositioned as national priorities, and this programme is a direct and tangible expression of that commitment.”

Prof. Malami applauded the National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination under the chairmanship of Prof. Isaac Adewole, for the sustained commitment to advancing this national agenda.

He also commended the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Imo State First Lady, Barr. (Mrs.) Chioma Uzodimma, for their readiness to implement the programme, thereby setting a commendable precedent for other states across the federation.

“Equally, I acknowledge the critical role of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the leadership of the Hon. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Hon. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, for providing the policy direction and enabling environment necessary for impactful health sector interventions,” he stressed.