An entrepreneur and healthcare advocate, has lauded the growing partnership between the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and Roche Nigeria, calling it a groundbreaking example of how African health systems can evolve through collaboration and bold policy reform.
Speaking in an interview monitored in Abuja, health advocate, Dr. Richard Ajayi described the expanded memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NHIA and Roche, which aims to increase breast cancer treatment centres from seven to 22 across the country, as a national milestone. According to him, it reflects how global best practices, when thoughtfully localised, can drive transformative solutions.
“This proves what many of us believe but rarely see in practice,” he said. “That African health systems can lead when we commit to partnerships, policy reform and persistence.”
The revised MoU builds on a 2021 pilot agreement that introduced Roche’s innovative cancer therapies through NHIA’s cost-sharing insurance model. Ajayi noted that the pilot, which reached over 200 patients, many of whom were diagnosed at early stages, demonstrated the programme’s life-saving potential and viability within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He emphasised that NHIA’s readiness to learn from international models such as Thailand’s health sector transformation and to collaborate with academic institutions like Mahidol University, underscores a growing maturity in Nigeria’s approach to healthcare innovation.
“It’s not just a Roche success story. It’s a blueprint,” Ajayi said. “A proof of concept that what feels impossible is often just unfamiliar. This partnership redefines what’s achievable.”
The NHIA–Roche partnership aims not only to provide access to cancer medications but also to deliver comprehensive care. The initiative covers surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and advanced diagnostics such as immunohistochemistry. Patients also benefit from navigation and counselling services, ensuring holistic support throughout treatment.
In addition to expanding the number of public centres, the NHIA plans to accredit four more private hospitals to join the programme. Ajayi said this move positions the partnership as a model for broader healthcare reform, particularly in tackling the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.
The initiative has already recorded measurable success. More early-stage cancer cases are now being diagnosed and treated, a shift that significantly improves survival outcomes. Roche, on its part, is investing in diagnostic infrastructure across the country to reduce travel burdens and promote equitable access to quality care.
The initial seven pilot centres include National Hospital Abuja (FCT), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria (Kaduna), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (Edo), University College Hospital in Ibadan (Oyo), Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe (Gombe), Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (Kano) and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu.
The new public centres added to the programme are Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta (Lagos), University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (Cross River), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (Sokoto), Jos University Teaching Hospital (Plateau), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Osun), University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (Rivers), University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (FCT), Federal Medical Centre Owerri (Imo) and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (Kwara).
Also included are federal medical centres in Jabi (FCT) and Makurdi (Benue). Four additional private centres are set to be announced soon and all new facilities will be accredited by NHIA as part of the expansion.
Ajayi said the NHIA–Roche initiative offers a replicable model that could transform cancer care across Africa, demonstrating that with the right partnerships and policies, African systems can indeed lead.
