By Ojoma Akor
Roche has collaborated with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to provide automated Ventana Benchmark systems at six cancer centers to optimize diagnosis in the country.
Dr. Bola Oyedeji, General Manager, Roche Nigeria, stated this while fielding questions from reporters at the sidelines of this year’s Africa Press Day in Nairobi, Kenya.
She explained that Roche has been contributing to breast cancer care in several ways, adding that the organization’s interventions focus on strengthening the healthcare system and fostering societal prosperity across four key pillars.
The pillars are early detection and diagnosis, improved access to treatment, patient support, and healthcare workforce capacity.
Dr Oyedeji said Roche has also partnered with the First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC) to advance policy advocacy and screening initiatives to reduce late-stage diagnoses.
She explained that another intervention is improving access to treatment:
“Roche has a cancer programme with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) where the financial burden is split between Roche, the NHIA, and the patient to ensure affordability.
” The partnership has expanded to include coverage for the full length of treatment and access for uninsured patients,” she added.
She said Roche also provides Patient Support, “We have set up Patient Navigation Programmes (PNPs) at tertiary hospitals to provide coordinated care and prevent patients from being lost to follow-up.
“Holistic Care: Offering counseling services and support solutions to reduce the psychological and financial stress on families.”
Another intervention is the healthcare workforce capacity: “Professional Training: Supporting continuous medical education and the creation of multidisciplinary teams where expert
s from various fields collaborate to create effective treatment plans for patients.”
She said Roche is ready to co-create the public-private-tech partnerships needed to build an investable ‘Health Economy’ across Africa.
She said, “At Roche, we believe that health is a shared responsibility and at the core of everything we do is ensuring patients have access to early diagnosis and treatment for their disease, irrespective of age, gender, or location.”
Explaining the theme for Roche Africa Press Day 2026, ‘Health is the backbone of Africa’s wealth,’ she said, Africa’s/Nigeria’s biggest opportunity for growth isn’t hidden in the ground.
She said, “It’s in the health of our people. When we spend money on modern healthcare, we aren’t just paying a bill—we are making a smart investment that pays us back quickly.
“By finding diseases early, using digital tools to reach more people, and working together, we build a ‘Health Economy’ that works for everyone. When our health systems get smarter, our businesses grow, our families stay strong, and our whole continent/country gets wealthier.”
The Roche Nigeria General Manager said there is a need to stop seeing health as a cost and start seeing it as the greatest source of wealth.
“When we make our people healthy, we make our nations strong. New treatments can save lives- and our workforce. Technology and data are the critical efficiency multipliers that can cut diagnosis time and unlock billions in economic value for the continent,” she added.
