Nigeria launches skin cancer screening for people with albinism

A government cancer agency in Nigeria has begun offering dedicated skin cancer screening to people with albinism at three centres across the country.

The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, known as NICRAT, activated the programme according to a report by The Guardian Nigeria. The agency identified people with albinism as a priority group, citing their elevated vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation and the skin cancers it can cause.

People with albinism produce little or no melanin — the pigment that absorbs and deflects UV light. Without that protection, prolonged sun exposure carries a substantially higher risk of skin damage and malignancy. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, skin cancer remains the leading cause of death among adults with albinism, according to research published by the World Health Organization.

The three screening centres named in the NICRAT announcement represent a structured, government-backed effort to bring early detection within reach. Early identification of skin cancer significantly improves treatment outcomes, particularly for squamous cell carcinoma, which is the type most commonly seen in people with albinism.

Access to this kind of screening has historically been uneven. Dermatology services are concentrated in urban hospitals, and many people with albinism — especially in rural areas — have gone without regular skin checks. A government-run programme with dedicated entry points changes that geometry, at least for those within reach of the three listed centres.

NICRAT did not specify in the report which three locations were activated, or whether the programme would expand further. The Guardian Nigeria reported the announcement as part of the agency's broader cancer awareness mandate.

The initiative arrives alongside growing recognition in Nigeria that people with albinism face compounded health risks that require targeted, rather than general, medical responses.