Esther Imonmion
Cancer patients in the Federal Capital Territory have received a major boost as the NNPC/Renaissance Joint Venture (JV) has donated $300,000 to the National Hospital, Abuja, to sustain the maintenance of its advanced cancer treatment equipment.
The funding, announced on Thursday, November 27, at the office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, will support the continuous operation of the hospital’s Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Radiotherapy Machine, one of the most sophisticated cancer treatment systems in Nigeria.
The JV originally donated the LINAC machine in 2019 as part of a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that included installation of supporting data and ancillary systems as well as the training of medical personnel to operate the equipment.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Andy Odeh, the company said the latest contribution became necessary to prevent treatment disruptions arising from funding gaps in the machine’s maintenance.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Oluwaseyi Omotowa, said the LINAC machine had transformed cancer care at the hospital, with over 2,000 patients treated so far.
He said the intervention had led to an 80 per cent reduction in treatment costs and a sharp drop in therapy time from 12 minutes to two minutes. According to him, 712 indigent patients have benefitted from subsidised care ranging from 25 to 100 per cent.
Omotowa, who was represented by the Head of Business Services at NNPC-NUIMS, Nkechi Anaedobe, stressed that sustained maintenance was critical to keeping the machine at full operational capacity.
He said the new donation would ensure timely servicing, minimise downtime through guaranteed response times, ensure compliance with medical standards and audits, and maintain accurate calibration for effective radiotherapy treatment.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, commended the gesture, describing it as a model corporate intervention that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed focus on health sector investment.
“Quality healthcare comes at a cost, and with President Tinubu’s renewed focus on health sector investment, partnerships like this from forward-thinking private actors significantly strengthen the cause,” Pate said.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Muhammad Raji Mahmud, said the support had strengthened local capacity for cancer treatment and reduced dependence on medical tourism.
The Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, Tony Attah, described the funding as a strategic investment in national wellbeing rather than charity.
Cancer remains one of Nigeria’s leading causes of death, with over 100,000 new cases recorded annually. Limited access to radiotherapy equipment has forced many patients to seek treatment abroad. The NNPC/Renaissance LINAC machine remains one of the few functioning units in the country.
With the fresh $300,000 injection, the National Hospital is expected to sustain uninterrupted treatment cycles, a critical factor in improving survival rates among cancer patients.