Fred Ojeh
National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), to advance the implementation of Nigeria’s National Cancer Biobank Network (NCBN), a nationally coordinated initiative designed to strengthen most cancers analysis and precision oncology in Nigeria.
The NCBN initiative builds on a memorandum of understanding between BioVana and NICRAT in 2025 and marks a major step in the direction of establishing related, standardized and sustainable most cancers analysis infrastructure throughout the nation. The community at the moment consists of eight federal hospitals throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with an preliminary section to recruit and catalogue 10,000 most cancers biospecimens and a longer-term ambition to scale the community to 100,000 by 2028.
NICRAT supplies nationwide management, institutional coordination and normal oversight of the community, whereas BioVana leads with the technical implementation, together with the event of digital infrastructure, aligning requirements for gathering and managing samples and information, capability constructing, and the institution of research-ready methods throughout taking part establishments.
Following the preliminary website assessments of taking part facilities and a stakeholders workshop that includes representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), the initiative is progressing in the direction of establishing harmonised biobanking practices and shared information and high quality requirements.
Nigeria continues to face a major most cancers burden. According to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), Nigeria alone reported an estimate of over 152,000 most cancers instances and simply over 90,000 deaths in 2024. The NCBN will join most cancers samples and related scientific information throughout establishments underneath widespread requirements and governance, making it easier for researchers to conduct bigger, multi-site research and assist biomarker discovery, diagnostics growth and precision oncology analysis related to Nigerian sufferers.
As one of many first nationally coordinated most cancers biobank networks of its type in Africa, the NCBN represents a brand new mannequin for most cancers analysis infrastructure on the continent, connecting federal hospitals throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones by means of shared requirements, governance and analysis methods.
Founded in 2025 by Estelle Dogbo and Dr. Jumi Popoola, BioVana is constructing the infrastructure to attach African analysis establishments with the worldwide scientific group, enabling native biomedical information to contribute to drug discovery and serving to shut the range hole in international analysis.
Speaking on the importance of the partnership, Estelle Dogbo, Co-Founder and CEO of BioVana mentioned, “Nigeria already has significant cancer research resources distributed across institutions. The NCBN is about connecting those resources through the standards, infrastructure and governance required to make them more useful for research.”
She continues, “Our vision is for the NCBN to become a blueprint for nationally coordinated biomedical research infrastructure across Africa, demonstrating how countries can connect their institutions, strengthen local research capacity and responsibly unlock their biomedical resources for cancer research and global discovery.”
According to Africa Cancer Control Partners, there have been over 1 million new most cancers instances reported on the continent in 2020. This is ready to double to 2 million instances over the subsequent 15 years. These figures reinforce the pressing must strengthen most cancers analysis not solely within the nation however on the continent. Additionally, they communicate to the essential position biobanking continues to play in unlocking breakthroughs in precision medication.
Professor Aliyu Malami Usman, Director General of NICRAT added, “Our ambition goes beyond connecting institutions today. We are laying the foundation for a national cancer research infrastructure that can serve Nigeria for generations. The NCBN is an important step towards our longer-term vision of establishing a central national cancer biobank, supported by a strong network of institutions across the country. Through our partnership with BioVana, we are building the standards, capacity and systems needed to make that vision possible, and to position Nigeria as a leader in cancer research and precision oncology in Africa.”
Dr. Stella Somiari, President of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), mentioned, “Nigeria’s National Cancer Biobank Network is an important step toward ensuring that African populations shape, and derive benefit from precision oncology. ISBER has long held the view that high-quality, standards-aligned biobanking is the foundation of trustworthy research that will allow institutions to work together across borders, while protecting research participants and communities who make this research possible. By collecting local biospecimens and data with care, and consistency, Nigerian researchers can collaborate as equal partners worldwide to generate evidence that leads to more precise cancer care for Nigerian patients.”
Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis, Group Head, Laboratory Support, Biobanking, and Services at IARC/WHO, concluded, “The future of cancer research depends on our ability to build strong, connected research infrastructure across all regions of the world. Nigeria’s National Cancer Biobank Network represents an important step towards ensuring that high-quality samples and data from African populations can contribute meaningfully to global scientific discovery. By investing in shared standards, local capacity and sustainable biobanking infrastructure, initiatives such as the NCBN can help build a more representative and equitable future for cancer research.”
The subsequent section of implementation will focus on continued capability constructing inside the eight federal hospitals, harmonisation of biobanking procedures, the implementation of widespread information and high quality requirements, in addition to the recruitment of the primary 10,000 most cancers samples.
