Nigeria launches cancer biobank network, targets 100,000 samples by 2028

Janet Ogundepo

A health data infrastructure company, BioVana, has partnered with the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment to implement Nigeria’s National Cancer Biobank Network, targeting the collection and cataloguing of 10,000 cancer biospecimens in its initial phase and 100,000 by 2028.

The initiative currently consists of eight federal hospitals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to strengthen cancer research, improve access to research-ready biological samples and data, and support advances in precision oncology.

In a statement sent to PUNCH Healthwise, the partners said the network would establish common standards for collecting and managing biological samples and associated data, strengthen institutional capacity and provide infrastructure to support collaboration among Nigerian researchers and the global scientific community.

The implementation follows a memorandum of understanding signed by BioVana and NICRAT in 2025 and represents a step towards building a nationally coordinated cancer research infrastructure.

While NICRAT will provide national leadership, institutional coordination and oversight, BioVana will lead technical implementation, including digital infrastructure development, harmonisation of sample and data management standards, capacity building and the establishment of research-ready systems at participating institutions.

The initiative has progressed through initial assessments of participating sites and a stakeholders’ workshop involving representatives of the World Health Organisation and the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories.

Speaking on the partnership, BioVana’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Estelle Dogbo, said Nigeria already had significant cancer research resources distributed across institutions, but the network would connect them through common standards, infrastructure and governance.

“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,” Dogbo said.

She added that the network could serve as a model for nationally coordinated biomedical research infrastructure across Africa by connecting institutions, strengthening local research capacity and making biomedical resources more useful for cancer research.

The partners said the network was among the first nationally coordinated cancer biobank initiatives of its kind in Africa, linking federal hospitals across the country through shared standards, governance and research systems.

The Director-General of NICRAT, Professor Aliyu Usman, said the initiative was intended to establish a foundation for a national cancer research infrastructure that could serve Nigeria over the long term.

“Our ambition goes beyond connecting institutions today. We are laying the foundation for a national cancer research infrastructure that can serve Nigeria for generations,” Usman said.

He explained that the network aligned with NICRAT’s longer-term vision of establishing a central national cancer biobank supported by institutions across the country.

Through the partnership, he said, the institute was building the standards, capacity and systems needed to support that ambition and strengthen Nigeria’s position in cancer research and precision oncology in Africa.

The President of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories, Dr Stella Somiari, said the network could help ensure that African populations contributed to and benefited from advances in precision oncology.

She said high-quality biobanking aligned with established standards was essential for reliable research and collaboration across institutions and national borders, while protecting research participants and communities.

“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,” Somiari said.

The Group Head of Laboratory Support, Biobanking and Services at the International Agency for Research on Cancer and WHO, Dr Zisis Kozlakidis, said connected research infrastructure was important for ensuring that biological samples and data from African populations contributed meaningfully to global scientific discovery.

He said investment in common standards, local capacity and sustainable biobanking infrastructure could help make cancer research more representative and equitable.

The next phase of implementation will focus on building capacity within the eight participating federal hospitals, harmonising biobanking procedures, implementing common data and quality standards, and recruiting the first 10,000 cancer biospecimens.

The partners said the network would help connect existing research resources and enable Nigerian biomedical data to contribute to drug discovery and precision medicine.

The statement cited figures from Africa Cancer Control Partners indicating that more than one million new cancer cases were reported on the continent in 2020, with the number projected to double to two million over the following 15 years.

The figures, the partners said, highlighted the need to strengthen cancer research infrastructure in Nigeria and across Africa.

“According to Africa Cancer Control Partners, there were over 1 million new cancer cases reported on the continent in 2020. This is set to double to 2 million cases over the next 15 years. These figures reinforce the urgent need to strengthen cancer research not only in the country but on the continent.

“Additionally, they speak to the critical role biobanking continues to play in unlocking breakthroughs in precision medicine,” the statement said.

BioVana, founded in 2025 by Dogbo and Dr Jumi Popoola, is developing systems to connect African research institutions with the global scientific community through research-ready health data and biobanking infrastructure.

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