The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), on Tuesday signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the VCU-Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Richmond, Virginia, aimed at boosting cancer research, clinical trials, and treatment capacity in Nigeria.
The agreement, signed during a ceremony in Abuja, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to deepen international collaboration in the fight against cancer and strengthen research tailored to the country’s genetic and clinical realities.
The MoU is expected to catalyse several initiatives, including enhanced data sharing for more representative clinical trials, co-designed training programs, capacity building for local researchers and clinicians, and the development of cancer infrastructure in Nigeria.
It also sets the stage for deeper cooperation in vaccine-related cancer innovations and population-specific therapy designs.
The agreement marks a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s health diplomacy and aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to improve universal healthcare delivery.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NICRAT Director-General, Professor Usman Aliyu, said the partnership reflects both the urgency and promise of tailoring cancer care to the country’s unique needs.
Amid Nigeria’s escalating cancer burden, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates claims over 72,000 lives annually, the Director General emphasised, “This collaboration with VCU is not just timely, but essential to what we are building in Nigeria under the guidance of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Against the backdrop of Nigeria grappling with a rising cancer burden, estimated by WHO to result in over 72,000 deaths annually, the DG said, “This collaboration with VCU is not just timely, but essential to what we are building in Nigeria under the guidance of the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Cancer care is no longer about localised treatment. It is global in scale, multi-modal in approach, and must be informed by evidence and research”.
He stressed that one of the most pressing challenges is Nigeria’s and Africa’s underrepresentation in global clinical trials. According to Aliyu, fewer than 2% of Africans participate in clinical studies globally, a gap that leaves African populations reliant on treatments developed without consideration for their genetic and environmental contexts.
“Our genetic makeup is different, and this has real implications for how we respond to treatment. Through this collaboration, we aim to conduct more clinical trials locally and ensure that future therapies are not only effective but also safer for Nigerians and Africans at large,” the DG noted
He further noted that Nigeria is not approaching the partnership as a beneficiary alone, saying, “This MoU is not a one-sided arrangement. We also have something to offer. The goal is to elevate standards on both sides”.
Echoing the same sentiment, Professor Robert Winn, Director of the VCU-Massey Comprehensive Cancer Centre and the first African-American to lead a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated centre in the United States, emphasised the need for authentic, two-way partnerships rooted in mutual respect.
“In the past, many partnerships with Africa have been extractive, ‘we’ll take your tissue, write papers, and say thank you.’ That’s not our model. We operate under a framework called Global Asset Partnership. Both sides bring value to the table. We learn from each other.”
He underscored the urgency of expanding access to global research breakthroughs, particularly among communities of African descent, noting, “Too often, the cutting-edge benefits of American research are confined within its borders. But if we’re talking about a global health future that includes people of African descent, then partnerships like this are not only necessary, they’re urgent.”
The MoU is expected to catalyse several initiatives, including enhanced data sharing for more representative clinical trials, co-designed training programs, capacity building for local researchers and clinicians, and the development of cancer infrastructure in Nigeria.
It also sets the stage for deeper cooperation in vaccine-related cancer innovations and population-specific therapy designs.
Winn noted that VCU-Massey, a Carnegie tier-one research institution, rivals centres such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins in research excellence.
However, he said its unique strength lies in its commitment to democratizing innovation and bringing science to underserved communities.
“We’ve adopted what we call the ‘community-to-bench’ model, rather than starting research at the lab bench, we begin with communities.
“If the people can’t reach your bedside, your science is incomplete.”
Highlighting the power of clinical trials to change cancer outcomes, Winn challenged outdated perceptions of trials as dangerous experiments, stressing, “Clinical trials today are not dangerous experiments; they represent hope, especially when existing standard care options are no longer effective.
“In the U.S., following strategic investments in trials and research since the 1990s, cancer mortality dropped by 36% over the next 30 years.
That means more people are attending weddings and graduations instead of funerals. The same is possible here in Nigeria.”
He acknowledged that Africa does not lack medical talent but suffers from underinvestment in trial infrastructure. “It’s not about doctors. It’s about systems. With the right ecosystem, those same Nigerian doctors can lead global trials.”
To support this vision, Winn shared VCU’s success with community-based trial design, noting, “In glioblastoma trials, one of the deadliest brain cancers, we achieved 47% participation from rural populations, compared to the 17% industry average.
“That was possible because we trained researchers in both trial design and community engagement.”
He encouraged Nigeria to consider similar regional mapping to ensure equitable access to trials across its six geopolitical zones, an approach he praised as “visionary” in Nigeria’s national cancer strategy.
Appealing for partnerships that move beyond tokenism and toward systemic transformation, Winn said, “This is not about what we take. It’s about what we share. For far too long, global partnerships have meant extracting data or tissue from African countries with little return. This is different; we are here to build a sustainable model together.
“True partnership is not just about what we offer, but what we gain by listening, adapting, and growing together. Let’s not just do things differently. Let’s do different things entirely.”
