UK-registered cancer center set to tackle Nigeria’s crisis

A new force has emerged in the fight against cancer in Nigeria as the Ngogbehei Cancer Center (NCC), formally known as the Marcel Ngogbehei Center for Cancer Education and Care, officially launches in the United Kingdom, with a mission to address Nigeria’s growing cancer burden through prevention, education, and community-based care. Registered as a non-profit […]

A new force has emerged in the fight against cancer in Nigeria as the Ngogbehei Cancer Center (NCC), formally known as the Marcel Ngogbehei Center for Cancer Education and Care, officially launches in the United Kingdom, with a mission to address Nigeria’s growing cancer burden through prevention, education, and community-based care.

Registered as a non-profit organization in the UK, the center was founded by Nigerian health advocate, Technology Strategist and social entrepreneur Innocent Marcel Ngogbehei.

With cancer rapidly becoming one of the leading causes of death in Nigeria, NCC is poised to confront the crisis head-on, not by building hospitals, but by building a movement.

“Most Nigerians battling cancer don’t know they have it until it’s too late. Our health systems aren’t built for prevention. That’s where we come in”, said Ngogbehei.

Cancer is increasingly ravaging Nigerian communities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria records over 125,000 new cancer cases each year, with more than 70,000 deaths, most linked to delayed diagnosis and limited access to treatment.

Breast and cervical cancers remain the leading causes of cancer deaths among women, yet less than 20 percent of Nigerian women have had a clinical breast exam, and even fewer undergo regular screenings or HPV vaccinations.

In response, the Ngogbehei Cancer Center is deploying an innovative, grassroots approach designed to reach the most vulnerable populations.

Key initiatives include Mobile Cancer Clinics which comes with repurposed ambulances equipped with diagnostic tools to provide on-the-spot screenings in rural and underserved.

Another one is public Education Campaigns, which encompasses workshops, school programs, and local community events aimed at demystifying cancer, reducing stigma, and promoting early detection.

Others are volunteer Training and Support Groups, which involves a community-led groups to encourage self-exams, routine checkups, and survivorship support, and Digital Tools, which has to do with mobile applications and digital platforms for self-assessment, booking appointments, and sharing survivor stories.

The center will operate a national coordination hub in Nigeria, working in partnership with local healthcare providers, volunteers, and civil society organizations.

Although legally registered in the UK a move designed to enhance credibility, attract international support, and build partnerships, the Ngogbehei Cancer Center remains firmly rooted in Nigeria.

“Registering in the UK opens doors, but the work is in Nigeria in the villages, schools, churches, and marketplaces where cancer awareness is still dangerously low”, Ngogbehei said.

The UK registration also positions the organization for future expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa, where cancer is increasingly becoming a major public health challenge.

Research shows that up to 50 percent of cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, vaccinations, and early detection. But in many Nigerian communities, cancer remains heavily stigmatized and poorly understood, often seen as a death sentence, divine punishment, or taboo.

The Ngogbehei Cancer Center aims to challenge these perceptions with a bold, compassionate, and evidence-based model of community engagement and care.

The Center is however, inviting healthcare professionals to volunteer or partner in mobile outreach and education efforts, donors and development foundations to support the mobile clinic program, survivors and advocates to share their experiences and inspire others and overnment agencies and policymakers to collaborate on a scalable national response.

“This is not just a project. It’s a promise, to make cancer prevention and care a right, not a privilege, for every Nigerian,” Ngogbehei added.