Salako, NICRAT DG Join Global Health Leaders at Africa Health Business Symposium

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako and the Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, have joined other global health leaders at the Africa Health Business Symposium 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Africa Health Business Symposium 2026 which was with the theme: Health as an Investment: Powering Impact, Sustainability, and Economic Growth in Africa, was hosted by Africa Health Business (AHB) in partnership with the Ministry of Health Kenya.

The symposium is a demonstration of the commitment to positioning health not only as a social priority, but as a strategic driver of economic development, resilience, and long-term prosperity across the African continent.

The symposium brought together leaders across sectors to advance actionable solutions, catalyze investment, and strengthen public–private collaboration in healthcare.

One prominent aspect of the symposium was the emphasis on the importance of collaboration in addressing oncology challenges across the African continent through the revitalization and strengthening of the Africa Oncology Collaboration Network (AOCN).

In his special remarks, the Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, traced the origin of the AOCN which according to him, started with stakeholders’ deliberations which later metamorphosed to the AOCN with the aim of strengthening cancer care systems across Africa.

He further stressed the need for African countries to support and take full charge of the AOCN for the good of residents of the continent.

On his part, the Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to do all that is necessary for the speedy growth of the AOCN for the good of the continent and Nigerians in particular.

While noting that Nigeria is a permanent host of the AOCN, Prof. Malami disclosed that since its establishment, the AOCN has achieved a lot, including the establishment and operationalization of the AOCN Secretariat by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH and SW) through NICRAT.

He further revealed that the Nigeria’s Ministry of Health has launched the National Technical Working Group, while the membership component across the six pillars of AOCN has been developed and is currently awaiting approval.

Prof. Malami disclosed that a dedicated budget line has been secured for AOCN activities in 2026.

The symposium which was expected to improve knowledge sharing, pair review, lessons learnt and networking opportunities to advance and improve the health outcomes in Africa, was said to be successful.