Nigeria needs at least 120 cancer treatment machines to meet the needs of its growing population, but the country has only about 15 in operation, leaving cancer patients with little choice but to fend for themselves.
Available data show that radiotherapy capacity in Nigeria is far below what is required for a country of over 200 million people. Health experts say the current number of machines cannot support the rising cancer burden, especially as radiotherapy is required for treatment in more than half of all cancer cases. With so few machines available, patients are forced into long waiting lists or repeated hospital visits that stretch over months.
Most of the existing machines are located in a handful of teaching hospitals in major cities, leaving large parts of the country without any access at all. This means patients from rural and semi-urban areas must travel long distances, often multiple times, just to continue treatment. For many families, the cost of transport, accommodation, and medical fees quickly becomes unbearable.
Research on cancer care in Nigeria has consistently shown that limited access to radiotherapy leads to late treatment, interruptions in care, and poorer survival outcomes. Patients often present late because they know treatment options are limited or unaffordable, creating a cycle where late diagnosis and weak treatment capacity reinforce each other.
The burden falls heavily on patients and their families. Cancer treatment in Nigeria is largely paid for out of pocket, with little effective insurance coverage. Families sell property, borrow money, or depend on public donations to continue care. Many patients drop out of treatment entirely, not because the disease is untreatable, but because the system makes sustained care impossible.
The shortage of cancer machines is the result of years of neglect rather than a lack of knowledge. The need for at least 120 radiotherapy machines has been documented for years, yet investment has remained slow and inconsistent. While governments continue to announce health reforms, basic life-saving equipment remains scarce. Until cancer care is treated as a public responsibility and properly funded, thousands of Nigerians will continue to lose their lives not just to cancer, but to a broken health system that leaves them with nowhere to turn.
