Dr. Zainab Aliyu

Dr. Zainab Aliyu is a clinical oncologist at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Kaduna, one of the largest tertiary medical centres in Northern Nigeria and the main academic hospital for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria — one of Nigeria's foremost universities. With 18 years of specialist oncology practice, Dr. Aliyu is one of a small number of formally trained oncologists serving the vast Northern Nigerian population of over 100 million people, a region where cancer is diagnosed late and treatment resources are critically scarce. Her practice covers solid tumour oncology and haematological malignancies, with particular depth in breast and cervical cancer — the two most common cancers in Nigerian women — as well as lymphomas including Burkitt lymphoma, which has a notably high incidence in the West African paediatric population. She trained in Kaduna and Zaria and has built her subspecialty expertise through collaborative programmes with oncology centres in Lagos, Abuja, and international partners. She is bilingual in English and Hausa, allowing her to communicate directly with the majority of patients from Northern Nigeria, including patients from Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, and neighbouring North-West states who travel to ABUTH for cancer care. She is a prominent voice within the Nigerian Society of Clinical Oncology for expanded chemotherapy access in Northern Nigeria.

Dr. Aliyu completed her MBBS at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, before undertaking specialist training in Internal Medicine and attaining Fellowship of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP). She subsequently pursued subspecialty training in Clinical Oncology through a postgraduate certificate programme coordinated between ABUTH and the National Hospital Abuja, supplemented by mentorship from oncologists at Lagos University Teaching Hospital and LUTH-affiliated centres. She holds a Diploma in Palliative Medicine from the African Palliative Care Association (APCA), reflecting her commitment to end-of-life care in a region where cancer is frequently diagnosed at advanced stage. She has attended oncology training programmes supported by AORTIC and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation.

Dr. Aliyu's clinical work centres on systemic cancer treatment, primarily chemotherapy, for a patient population in which most cancers present at stage III or IV due to delayed diagnosis and limited screening access. She designs and oversees chemotherapy protocols for breast, cervical, colorectal, and liver cancers, and she manages haematological malignancies including Burkitt lymphoma (using CODOX-M/IVAC and similar regimens), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, acute leukaemias, and multiple myeloma. She performs bone marrow aspiration and biopsy for haematological diagnosis, lumbar puncture for intrathecal chemotherapy administration, and supervises transfusion therapy for anaemia related to malignancy or treatment. She coordinates radiotherapy referrals to equipped centres in Abuja and Kano. Her palliative care practice ensures that patients with advanced or incurable malignancy receive dignified symptom management within ABUTH's oncology ward.

Dr. Aliyu has published in the West African Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Cancer Policy on the epidemiology of cancer presentations at ABUTH and on chemotherapy access inequities in Northern Nigeria. She has contributed to AORTIC multi-country registry data on breast and cervical cancer outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, with specific data from the ABUTH cohort. She has presented at the AORTIC biennial conference on the pattern of haematological malignancies in Northern Nigeria, with particular attention to Burkitt lymphoma epidemiology. Her palliative care research has contributed to APCA's African-context pain management guidelines. She is currently co-investigator on a multi-centre Nigerian study examining predictors of late-stage breast cancer presentation.

ABUTH serves as the cancer referral centre for patients across Northern Nigeria and occasionally from Niger, Chad, and Cameroon where formal oncology infrastructure is absent. Diaspora Nigerians with family members receiving cancer diagnoses in Northern Nigeria sometimes seek Dr. Aliyu's consultation to understand treatment options available at ABUTH and to compare with what is available in the UK, USA, or Canada. She is experienced in advising on treatment plans for patients who alternate between Nigeria and the diaspora. Second-opinion consultations can be arranged through ABUTH's oncology outpatient clinic. She communicates primarily in English with international patients and can offer written consultation summaries for patients coordinating care across multiple countries.

Dr. Aliyu has received the Nigerian Society of Clinical Oncology's recognition award for her service to oncology in an underserved region and for her advocacy for expanded chemotherapy access in Northern Nigeria. She has been awarded an ASCO Foundation fellowship for oncology capacity building in low and middle-income countries. AORTIC has acknowledged her as a consistent contributor to African cancer research and advocacy. ABUTH has recognised her as one of the hospital's most impactful specialist practitioners in terms of service reach and patient volume.