The Federal Government on Friday said the country has yet to take full advantage of nuclear medicine in the diagnosis, treatment of cancer and other diseases.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, said this in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at a workshop organised by the National Nuclear Medicine Technical Working Group on the development of National Nuclear Medicine Guidelines/Policy.

The minister noted that the increasing burden of cancer in the country needed solutions and all management possibilities to tackle the disease.

He said the federal government was concerned about the growing cancer burden, with 60 to 70 per cent of Nigerians personally knowing someone affected by the disease.

He said, “We are therefore implementing programmes cutting across prevention, treatment and control, including the ongoing construction of six cancer centres of excellence across the six geopolitical zones. It is also important to note that one critical management modality that we have not properly explored in the delivery of healthcare services in our country is nuclear medicine.

“Despite the rich resources of human capital in the country in the area of nuclear medicine, and our partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nigeria is not taking full advantage of what nuclear medicine has to offer in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancers.’’

Mr Salako explained that the ministry inaugurated a technical working group in February 2025, comprising key professionals in nuclear medicine, to determine how Nigeria could begin deploying nuclear medicine services and technologies.

He noted that screening services that could detect cancers early or even at the precancerous stage was an important mechanism in the prevention and control of cancer, assuring the committee of the ministry’s support.

Earlier, The Chairman, National Nuclear Medicine Technical Working Group, Dr Kehinde Ololade, said the aim of establishing the committee by the federal government was to develop guidelines and policies for the application of nuclear medicine in Nigeria.

In her remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, stressed the importance of exploring nuclear medicine to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality rates, stating that cancer could no longer be ignored.

(NAN)