By Hassan Zaggi
On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Nigeria formally launched the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN). It is an initiative of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE), which was established in August 2024 by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with the mandate to lead Nigeria’s national response to end cervical cancer.
The Task Force is coordinated by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
The primary mandate of the NTF-CCE which is being chaired by the former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, is to fast-track Nigeria’s progress towards achieving the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy 90:70:90 targets by 2030. The targets are focusing on vaccinating 90% of girls aged 9–14 against HPV, screening 70% of eligible women for precancerous lesions, and ensuring 90% of women with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment.
The formal launch of the partnership to eliminate cervical cancer is a strategy that intends to galvanise efforts of all stakeholders including federal, state, local governments, international partners, philanthropists and corporate bodies in order to eliminate the disease in the country.
The goal of the Partnership is to screen 15 million Nigerian women by 2027.
Cervical cancer is said to be a silent killer. It is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. In Nigeria, however, it is the 2nd most common cancer after breast cancer.
According to medical experts, even though cervical cancer is largely preventable and treatable, it strikes hardest at the most vulnerable women.
The most worrisome aspect, however, is that approximately 22 women die daily from this preventable and treatable disease in the country, over 60 million women in Nigeria are at risk of developing cervical cancer and 80% of women with cervical cancer currently present late, when treatment and complete recovery are no longer possible.
Speaking at the formal launch of the Partnership, the Chairman of the NTF-CCE, Prof. Adewole disclosed that the partnership aims to strengthen Nigeria’s cervical cancer response through 4 key focal areas including service delivery & capacity building, communication and public awareness, data and monitoring and advocacy and sustainability.
Revealing the financial commitment needed to fight cervical cancer in Nigeria, he said: “Over the five-year period spanning 2026 to 2030, Nigeria is projected to spend a total of approximately ₦2.20 trillion (equivalent to $1.38 billion) on various levels of cervical cancer intervention.”
Giving a breakdown of the cost, Prof. Adewole said the intervention will be in three categories, including Tertiary Level Treatment, Secondary Prevention and Primary Prevention.
He explained that the HPV Vaccination Coverage (2026-2030) program shall be through fixed sessions at health facilities and outreach-based routine immunizations. The total direct implementation cost over the five years is estimated at ₦387.52 billion. The overall cost of HPV vaccination, inclusive of administrative and supervisory overheads, will be ₦426.28 billion for the 5 years.
On the other hand, the Secondary Prevention Cost (2026 – 2030) will adopt a high-output screening strategy using an HPV DNA test with either self-collected or clinician-collected cervico-vaginal samples. The total cost for cervical cancer screening between 2026 and 2030 is estimated at ₦351 billion over the five years, covering 14.4 million women.
On the Tertiary Prevention Cost (2026 – 20230), he disclosed that nearly “300,000 women will require treatment for invasive cervical cancer between 2026 and 2030. Over the next five years (2026-2030), the country is expected to spend approximately ₦1.42 trillion on this effort, and the cost per patient will drop from around ₦8.7 million per woman in 2026 to just ₦4.1 million by 2030.”
He noted that the return on investment on cervical cancer elimination is in multiple folds, stressing that: “Investing in cervical cancer elimination strategies yields a high return on investment. For every dollar invested, WHO estimates that around US$3.20 will be returned to the economy, primarily due to increased workforce participation by women. When the benefits of improved health on families, communities, and societies are considered, the return can increase to US$26 and for every dollar invested in HPV vaccination, the return to the economy will yield up to US$ 6.2.
On her part, the First Lady and wife of the President, Senator Remi Tinubu, reiterated that eeliminating cervical cancer requires collaborative action and therefore, called on state governors, business leaders, and development partners to join in supporting this laudable initiative.
“State and local governments, as well as healthcare professionals, must all prioritize women’s health. Also, our schools and educational institutions need to be champions of immunization. In addition, it behoves on our religious and traditional leaders to advocate for truth and science.
“And yes, funding and a lot of resources is needed. That is why through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), we have committed One Billion Naira to this effort.”
She further called on all development partners, the private sector, NGOs, and academic institutions to commit their resources, expertise, and innovation to this campaign, insisting that: “We count on you all to ensure that this collaboration succeeds.”
The questions thus are: Can the Tinubu administration deliver this huge project? Can the President Tinubu-led government devote considerable attention and political will to ensure that within the next five years, Nigeria is totally free from cervical cancer?
Well, even though most Nigerians may express skepticism on the ability of the federal government to muscle the Political Will to achieve the total elimination of cervical cancer within the next five years.
However, the fact remains that since the past two years of his administration, President Tinubu has shown some level of interest in the fight against cancer in Nigeria. This can be a source of hope to make most Nigerians believe that he will sustain this trajectory to the end.
The recent declaration of cancer as a notifiable public health disease of importance by the federal government is another indication that the government means business when it comes to fighting cancer in the country. This can be a source of hope and encouragement to make Nigerians relax and watch closely how this administration put an end to cervical cancer in the country.
Also, another source of hope that President Tinubu can achieve the total elimination of cervical cancer within the next five years despite competing demands is the way and manner he supports the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT). With the immense support of the President Tinubu-led administration, NICRAT has, within two years, become a household name in Nigeria because of its efforts to combat cancer.
It is interesting to note that due to the support of the federal government, NICRAT has trained close to 3000 health workers in various areas of cancer care. This has, no doubt, dramatically increased the number of cancer experts in Nigeria. More cancer centres have been established. More cancer related equipments were recently procured and distributed to all the six geopolitical zones of the country.
It is therefore important to stress here that, President Tinubu through the NTF-CCE, NICRAT and the support of all stakeholders and partners, will, no doubt, deliver a cervical cancer-free Nigeria before 2030. All Nigerians must key-in to make it a reality.
Zaggi is a health sector analyst based in Abuja.
