As lawmakers in other countries request accountability over Keytruda’s pricing, Nigerian cancer patients cannot access the drug, and there has been limited inquiry from officials in Abuja. KEHINDE ADEGOKE writes.
While lawmakers in Europe and America are requesting investigations into Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda’s pricing, Nigerian cancer patients encounter a different challenge—the drug remains largely inaccessible. No Nigerian lawmaker has questioned this situation, highlighting a contrast in policy engagement.
This lack of advocacy in Nigeria stands in sharp contrast to international attention. A landmark global investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists — conducted across 47 media partners in 37 countries — has exposed how Merck generated $31.7 billion from Keytruda in 2025 alone, while pricing out patients and governments worldwide. The drug costs $6,015 per dose in the United States. Even in Indonesia, a lower-income country, the cost per dose is $850.
Against this backdrop, the situation in Nigeria is especially dire. In Nigeria, where cancer causes an estimated 78,000 deaths annually and the average monthly income is below $200, the price of Keytruda is unaffordable for most patients.
Globally, the ICIJ investigation found at least 632 cases across 51 countries in which patients turned to crowdfunding to pay for Keytruda. Others resorted to legal action against governments or insurers — sometimes dying before their cases were resolved.
Yet, despite these global trends and documented challenges elsewhere, Nigeria was not among the 37 countries investigated. This was not due to an absence of cancer among Nigerians, but rather because the country was not included in the investigation, excluding Nigerian patients from both the study and related policy discussions.
