The Federal Government has welcomed the unveiling of the “Lancet Oncology Commission on Cancer Workforce: A Global Crisis”, describing it as a timely call to strengthen cancer care systems worldwide.
Dr. Uche Nwokwu, National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP), made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, following the report’s unveiling at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.
Nwokwu said the report highlighted an urgent global shortage of cancer care workers and projected a shortfall of 100 million cancer workforce personnel by 2050 amid rising cancer cases worldwide.
He noted that the findings mirror existing challenges in Nigeria and many African countries, including late presentation of cases, diagnostic delays, overstretched oncology teams, and limited specialist capacity.
According to him, Nigeria’s National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030 has already outlined strategies to address the oncology workforce gap and could serve as a model for other countries.
Nwokwu said the report reinforces the need for countries to move beyond planning and implement measurable actions to strengthen cancer workforce capacity and improve patient outcomes.
He quoted Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, Chief Executive Officer of Medicaid Cancer Foundation and President-Elect of the Union for International Cancer Control, as saying:
“The inauguration of this commission is both timely and necessary. Around the world, and especially across low- and middle-income countries, the cancer workforce is central to whether patients are diagnosed early, treated effectively, and supported with dignity.
“For Nigeria and Africa, this report strengthens the case for deliberate investment in people, not only infrastructure. We must build, retain, and support the multidisciplinary teams needed to deliver equitable cancer care.”
Shinkafi-Bagudu added that such investments are required across prevention, early detection, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care.
The statement also quoted Prof. Folakemi Odedina, Chair of the NCCP Technical Working Group, who described the commission as critical for Nigeria’s cancer control efforts.
“Through the NCCP-TWG, we are taking important steps to address the cancer workforce gap by strengthening planning, coordination, training, and implementation. Bridging this shortage will require sustained commitment from government, professional bodies, training institutions, development partners, and the wider health system,” Odedina said.
Dr. Nwamaka Lasebikan of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, and co-author of the commission, was also quoted:
“For Nigeria and many African countries, this commission reflects the reality we see every day: rising cancer burden, late presentation, limited capacity, and a workforce stretched beyond what is sustainable.
“If we want better cancer outcomes, we must invest deliberately in workforce planning, training, retention, task-sharing, digital tools, and strong cancer systems. The cancer workforce is the foundation on which timely, equitable, and high-quality cancer care depends.”
The commission calls for coordinated action to strengthen cancer workforce registries, expand oncology training programmes, and improve retention. It also emphasises the need for investments in nurses, diagnostics teams, radiotherapy professionals, pathologists, imaging specialists, palliative care providers, data teams, and community health workers.
Nwokwu said the report underscores that cancer control cannot succeed through infrastructure investments alone but requires strong systems, financing, governance, data, and human resources.
