NHIA says expanded cover will cut eligible cancer patients’ treatment costs
The National Health Insurance Authority says eligible patients will receive greater financial support for selected cancer medicines, radiotherapy, diagnostics and other care. Under a partnership with Roche, patients pay 20 per cent of the cost of selected medicines while the company and NHIA cover the remainder, although the authority says major gaps remain.
The National Health Insurance Authority has expanded financial support for cancer treatment, including selected medicines, radiotherapy and diagnostic services, in an effort to reduce the burden on patients and their families. The authority said in a statement marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month that an arrangement with pharmaceutical company Roche would cover 80 per cent of the cost of selected oncology medicines for eligible beneficiaries. Roche will pay 50 per cent, the NHIA 30 per cent and patients the remaining 20 per cent.
The NHIA also said it had introduced additional support ranging from up to N400,000 to full coverage for eligible radiotherapy patients. Existing benefits include mammography, CT and MRI scans, bone scans, cancer-related laboratory tests and radiotherapy. Depending on the applicable package, programmes may also support screening, surgery, chemotherapy and follow-up care.
NHIA Director-General Kelechi Ohiri said the effectiveness of insurance should be judged by the protection it provides when people fall ill, rather than by enrolment figures alone. The authority said cancer treatment often requires repeated tests, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and specialised medicines, creating significant costs for households. Citing Global Cancer Observatory estimates, the NHIA said Nigeria records 32,278 new breast-cancer cases and 16,332 deaths annually.
It said breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Nigerian women and one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the country. The authority said more than 23 million Nigerians are enrolled in the national health-insurance system. It also referred to the National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030, upgrades at six oncology centres and the Cancer Access Partnership, which supplies 27 medicines in 48 formulations across 14 federal tertiary hospitals.
The NHIA acknowledged that stronger awareness, earlier diagnosis and wider treatment access are still needed.
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