A member of the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) have agreed to invest about $154.1 million to expand cancer treatment and modern diagnostic services for communities across parts of Nigeria that currently lack access to quality healthcare.
The project, which will be carried out through NSIA’s healthcare subsidiary, NSIA Advanced Medical Services Limited (MedServe), includes a major contribution from the IFC of about N14.2 billion, or $24.5 million, in long-term naira financing.
This marks the first time the IFC is supporting a healthcare project in Nigeria, using local currency funding, which helps to reduce the risk that comes from changes in foreign exchange rates.
The collaboration was announced yesterday during the commemoration of this year’s World Cancer Day, with First Lady Oluremi Tinubu calling for a stronger and more compassionate response to cancer cases. She urged Nigerians to place people at the centre of care by listening to individual stories and recognising that every cancer journey is different.
In a message to mark this year’s World Cancer Day, observed on February 4, the First Lady noted that building an effective national response to cancer requires empathy, prevention, and sustained support systems for patients and families. “By listening to individual stories and placing people at the centre of care, we can build a stronger, more compassionate response to cancer,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu said such a response must be “rooted in prevention, early detection, access to quality treatment, and sustained support,” stressing that these pillars remain essential to reducing cancer-related deaths and improving outcomes across the country.
She also emphasised the need for collective action, saying progress depends on a shared commitment by government, health professionals, civil society, families, and communities.
