Travel report from Nigeria: Insights into cancer care and research
During a recent visit to Nigeria, Sofia Birgersson and Daniel Giglio met with researchers, healthcare professionals and university leaders to explore future collaborations and gain a deeper understanding of cancer care and cancer research in Africa’s most populous country. In this travel report, they share their impressions and key takeaways from meetings with Nigerian colleagues.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with more than 240 million inhabitants. Its large population also provides unique opportunities for conducting clinical studies and investigating diseases in large and diverse patient populations. For many researchers in Sweden, Nigeria is still a relatively unknown partner for scientific collaboration. However, the country has strong academic institutions, dedicated researchers, and a clear ambition to be an equal partner in international research collaborations.
On a Friday in June, we left Gothenburg with Nigeria as our destination. The journey was carried out within the framework of the EU-funded research programme TEI-MAV+, in which the Sahlgrenska Academy participates through Sofia Birgersson as the Swedish project leader. Joining the trip were Ass. Prof Daniel Giglio from the Sahlgrenska Academy, Dr. Taofeek Adegboyega from the University of Rwanda, originally from Nigeria and the person who had carefully planned our extensive programme, and PhD student Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, also from the University of Rwanda.
Two cities with two very different faces
After arriving in Lagos, one of the world’s largest cities with around 20 million inhabitants, we were welcomed by a vibrant city filled with people, intense traffic, and an energy that is difficult to describe. The contrast became evident a few days later when we arrived in Abuja, a much more spacious capital with a calmer rhythm and a smaller population. Two cities, two completely different faces of the same country.
One of Africa’s largest art collections
On Saturday morning, we travelled to one of the five divisions of Lagos State (The Lagos Island) within Lagos. We visited one of Africa’s largest art collection outlet- Nike Art Gallery (NAG). It is a celebrated Nigerian cultural institution with branches in Lagos, Osogbo and Abuja and owned by renowned artist and curator Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye who we met after her return trip from Abuja. NAG is one of the largest privately-owned art galleries in West Africa, boasting a vast collection of over 8,000 diverse artworks, including traditional textiles, beadwork, paintings, and sculptures.
Jungle adventure and oil industry
Thereafter, we continued to the Lekki Conservation Centre, where we walked along Africa’s longest canopy walkway through the rainforest. High above the ground (75 ft), we watched monkeys move between the trees, a nature experience that contrasted sharply with the fast-paced urban life of Lagos.
The day continued with a drive through the Lekki area, where we passed the enormous Dangote oil refinery owned by Africa’s richest Man-Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The Dangote Refinery is a $20 billion, 650,000-barrel-per-day integrated facility situated on 2,500 hectares in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos State. As the world's largest single-train refinery, it is designed to process multiple crude grades and has successfully eliminated Nigeria's heavy dependence on imported petroleum products and now relying own locally produced petroleum products which huge chunks now exported to Europe, other African states and the Americas.
Palm wine and intensely spicy food
While returning to the mainland from the Dangote Refinery, we ended the day with a traditional Nigerian lunch at a local restaurant. We were served the famous Ofada rice with traditional side dishes and palm wine in Surulere Area. The unusual taste of the palm wine quickly became less memorable as all of us, including our Nigerian colleague, struggled with the intensity of the spice in the food.
On Sunday morning, the scientific mission began. We travelled early to the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, where a large group of clinicians and researchers had chosen to spend their Sunday meeting with us. This in itself demonstrated the strong commitment and interest in international research collaborations.
Partnerships on equal terms
During the meeting, we presented our work in cancer genomics and discussed preliminary data from our collaborations in Rwanda, Zambia, and Ethiopia. The discussions focused on how we can jointly develop research that is relevant to African populations and based on equal partnerships.
An important part of the visit was a tour of the hospital laboratories, where we gained a deeper understanding of how tumour samples are handled and stored. At the same time, our Nigerian colleagues communicated a very clear and important message: future collaborations must focus on local capacity building. They are not interested in collecting samples that are then exported out of the country for analysis. This is a perspective we fully support and consider essential for sustainable and ethically sound research collaborations.
Major challenges in cancer care
The conversations also provided insight into the major challenges in Nigerian cancer care. Many patients seek medical attention late in the course of their disease, often after first consulting traditional healers. By the time they arrive at the hospital, their disease is frequently advanced. One physician described the situation with the words, “We practice disaster care rather than preventive care.”
One topic that was of particular interest was chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a common complication among patients receiving cancer treatment and an area closely related to Sofia’s research on adverse effects of chemotherapy. The condition was described as very common, yet with limited possibilities for management. Vitamin B was sometimes administered, but if patients only experienced pain caused by neuropathy, cancer treatment often continued without additional interventions. We also discussed other factors influencing healthcare-seeking behaviour, including the role of religious leaders who, in some cases, may discourage members of their communities from seeking medical care.
Before leaving Abeokuta, we received a generous gift of traditional Nigerian fabric. Our colleague Taofeek then arranged for a local tailor to take our measurements and prepared traditional garments for us, a gesture that reflected the warmth, generosity, and hospitality that characterized our entire visit.
Visit to a cancer center
The following day, we continued our meetings at the private medical facility- Marcelle Ruth Cancer Center and Specialist Hospital (Victoria Island) with its modern laboratories and advanced healthcare facilities. On the mainland, we then visited the University of Lagos-Akoka, where we met the university leadership led by Professor Folasade Ogunsola (Vice-Chancellor) represented by the Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof Lesi who welcomed future collaborations between our institutions. We continued to College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), where we were welcomed by a large audience of researchers and clinicians. Once again, we encountered great enthusiasm for collaboration, combined with a clear focus on partnerships where research capacity, analytical expertise, and scientific knowledge are strengthened within Nigeria.
Meeting with the Nigerian Cancer Society
On Monday evening, our newly tailored traditional clothes were delivered to our hotel. Wearing them, we travelled early the next morning to Abuja, where we were welcomed by the leadership of the Nigerian Cancer Society, led by Prof Emmanuel Abidemi Omonisi (Consultant Pathologist) and Eunice Ali (Programme Officer, NCS) they hosted us throughout an intensive day of meetings. It became a meaningful way to show our appreciation for Nigerian culture and the warmth with which we had been received.
In Abuja, we visited the African Medical Centre of Excellence, AMCE, a new tertiary hospital with great ambitions for advanced cancer care and research, as well as another Federal Medical Centre (Jabi) as well as National Hospital Abuja.
Dinner and visions for the future
The day concluded with a joint dinner with representatives from the Nigerian Cancer Society, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), President of the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, where discussions on future collaborations continued. Dr. Uchechukwu Emmanuel Nwokwu a prominent Consultant Haemato-Oncologist and a key figure in Nigeria's oncology and cancer control space who currently serves at the National Cancer Control and Nuclear Medicine Programme within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was on hand to represent the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as Chris Chukwunyere, City Cancer Challenge, Abuja Manager who shared feedback from their various country operations amongst others.
Enormous potential
We returned with much more than new contacts and meeting notes. We brought home a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities within Nigerian cancer care, but above all a strong conviction that successful global health research must be built on reciprocity, respect, and shared capacity development.
Nigeria already possesses strong scientific capacity, dedicated researchers, and a clear desire to be an equal partner in international collaborations. At the same time, there is enormous potential to further develop research together across many fields. We therefore hope that more researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy will discover the opportunities for collaboration with Nigerian colleagues, as the interest in collaboration was substantial and several important research questions extend beyond our own areas of expertise.
Text: Sofia Birgersson & Daniel Giglio
Curious to collaborate?
Welcome to contact Daniel Giglio or Sofia Birgersson if you want to know more about the possibilities for future collaborations!
