The Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Sunday Katung, has revealed that the establishment of proposed Sickle Cell Disorder Research and Therapy Centres across the country will cost about ₦4.7 billion.
Katung, who sponsored the bill currently before the Senate, disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday. The bill, which has passed second reading, seeks to create institutional and legal frameworks for the establishment, management, and operation of the centres.
According to him, the project will be funded by the federal government, noting that the financial estimate is an integral part of the proposed legislation.
“In a typical bill of this nature, there’s a cost element attached to it. The total cost to set up the centres in the first instance is ₦4.7 billion,” Katung said. He explained that while the current plan involves setting up one centre in each geopolitical zone, the Senate will consider more cost-effective options during the public hearing phase.
“Some senators, including Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, suggested that each centre could be attached to an existing teaching hospital within the zones. These options will be evaluated during the public hearing,” he added.
The lawmaker described the bill as a major step in addressing Nigeria’s growing burden of sickle cell disorder (SCD), which remains one of the country’s most serious hereditary diseases.
He noted that the centres would focus on diagnosis, treatment, research, and public education to reduce mortality and raise awareness about preventive measures.
“Out of over 300,000 children who die before the age of five due to this disease globally, 150,000 are Nigerians. Nigeria ranks first in Africa and second in the world as the highest carrier of the disorder,” Katung said. Sharing his motivation for sponsoring the bill, the senator recounted a personal experience from 25 years ago that left a lasting impression on him.
“I once witnessed a child suffering from sickle cell crisis begging his parents to let him die because they couldn’t afford hospital bills. That painful moment inspired me to take up this cause once I had the opportunity,” he recounted emotionally.
Katung stated that the proposed legislation would not only improve access to treatment but also rekindle stalled research efforts toward finding a lasting cure for sickle cell disease.
“This initiative will bring treatment closer to the people, improve public knowledge about genetic compatibility in marriages, and potentially revive research that could lead to a cure,” he said.
He further disclosed that the first phase of the project would cover the six geopolitical zones before being expanded to local government areas across the country.
The bill, when passed into law, is expected to provide a sustainable framework for reducing Nigeria’s high mortality rate from sickle cell disorder and enhance the country’s medical research capacity.
