NSIA commits additional $2m to train healthcare professionals across Nigeria
Omeiza Bilal
In a bid to further boost the fight against cancer in Nigeria, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) says it has committed additional $2 million to the training of healthcare professional over the next couple of years.
Disclosing this at its Medserve Oncology Summit 2.0 Wednesday in Abuja, NSIA’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Aminu Sadiq Umar, added that government needs to do more to build the capacity of healthcare professional due to increasing cases of cancer in the country.
He said, “NSIA has so far committed to spending $2 million to the training of healthcare professionals over the next few years. We have actually started this program already in 8 teaching hospitals across Nigeria. We would move to do more, it is important to do more because the requirements for healthcare professionals and the scourge of cancer, Nigeria and the rest of the world need this to work efficiently.
“This year our theme, enhancing the oncology workforce in Nigeria is one of the major issues in oncology, cancer, as we know, is a growing health pandemic in Nigeria and other parts of the world, with the increasing number of cases that we see each year.
Our objectives are clear. We organize residency programs, establish postgraduate courses in oncology, pharmacy, improve the oncology nursing program, foster the creation of critical patterns like medical physics and therapy radiographers within the Nigerian Civil Service, by investing in our healthcare professionals and equipping them with the skill they need, we will be able to provide comprehensive and high-quality care to cancer patients throughout Nigeria.
Despite the challenges it faces, Sadiq Umar said the Authority has made tremendous stride with the establishment of cancer centres where Nigerians continue to receive treatment at pocket friendly price.
Since its inception, the NSI youth Cancer Center has set a new benchmark for oncology care in Nigeria, offering continent treatment and state of the art technology, this world class facility has improved access to diagnostics and cancer care, providing 1000s of Nigerians with specialized treatments as a fraction of the price they will get support if they do it abroad.
NLCC stands as a testament to the transformative potential of public/private party partnerships in addressing healthcare challenges in our country. However, the success of facilities like NLCC changes not just on advanced equipment, but on the skilled professionals who are prepared.
He said all hands must be on deck to fill the manpower gaps in our “Cancer Care Centers, recruit young professionals and ensure they are trained to the highest international standards. Equally important is creating incentives to retain this talent so that we can contribute to the growth and improvement of our healthcare sector for years to come,” he added.
In his brief remarks, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, noted that the work the NSIA is doing has shown that Nigeria has the capability to treat cancer.
“The true test is to have the ability, the determination, to maintain the effort, so that over time, the benefits are available to a large number of people, and what you start others can take to greater heights.
“But then there’s that whole human side, the social the psychological side, and what we saw in that BBC interview is hope. It’s when people see it, they see that in Nigeria, we have all it takes to treat people with empathy, to treat people with compassion, but also to bring the skill, the knowledge and the technology that can cure them.
“So, what we are all doing today and what our effort is all about, is making the fight a fairer one for people and nations that are determined to fight, to make an effort and to help their people, we need to improve technologically wise, so that it’s a fairer Fight for those who are up for it, and as nations, we must be up for it on behalf of our people,” he said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Health Professor Alli Pate, emphasised the importance of research saying that 500,000 can be created from its value chain.
“So, this summit, in a way, is timely, is up and is so aligned with the direction of this administration, and we have also realized some of what Professor Bob Lee raised with us, the importance of research, because we realized that the importance of research is to discover new knowledge, to apply new technologies, to train others. But there’s also an economic value chain around research and through the presidential initiative to unlock the healthcare value chain with purpose Africa, a group that many of you are aware of, we do know that at least half a million jobs can be created over the next 10 years just on the basis of clinical research, because the capabilities that are here in Nigeria and the population that we have latching with a global expertise and all this, we can build a win, win model, where we accelerate development of technologies, diagnostics, dealing with these issues, while creating economic value also in our country,” the health minister explained.
