ABUJA, 25 October 2026. Nigerian nursing leaders have warned that a severe shortage of oncology nurses is putting cancer care at risk, with only an estimated 300 specialist cancer nurses in a country of more than 200 million people.
The numbers
- About 300 oncology nurses nationwide. This is an estimate from Prof. Khadijat Musah, Dean of Nursing Sciences at Federal University Otuoke, not an official count.
- Only two institutions train oncology nurses, each admitting up to 50 candidates depending on resources.
- 102,000–127,763 new cancer cases and about 72,000–79,542 cancer deaths every year, according to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
Why the gap persists
- Migration. Trained oncology nurses are in demand abroad and many leave.
- Pay. Oncology nurse Ann Joachim says specialist nurses are not paid for their extra skills, despite occupational risks such as handling chemotherapy drugs.
- Limited training places, though some universities now offer master’s and doctoral oncology nursing programmes.
What nursing leaders want
- Better welfare and specialist allowances for oncology nurses (Prof. Musah).
- Earlier exposure to oncology in nursing school: “Catch them young,” said Fatima Adam, Vice-President of the Oncology Nursing Society of Nigeria.
- Nurses in decision-making. Nanre Mampak, an oncology nurse educator with over 20 years’ experience, said: “Let us make nurses fully inclusive in decision-making in the health sector.”
Thinking of specialising in oncology?
Oncology is one of the most needed and most portable nursing specialties. A post-basic or postgraduate oncology qualification is valued in Nigeria, the Gulf, the UK and beyond. To fund further study, see our guides to master’s scholarships for nurses and PhD funding.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria (25 October 2026).