Comparative audit of radiation in medicine resources in Anglophone West African countries of Nigeria and Ghana

Introduction

In the past 25 years, access to training and services in radiation in medicine (RIM) has improved in Nigeria and Ghana, but intra-country setbacks and inter-country disparities persist. In 1999, Nigeria had fewer than 1500 radiographers, 150 radiologists, and just 15 medical physicists. Only two of its 41 universities offered radiography programmes. Ghana faced similar limitations in human and institutional resources. This study seeks to promote international peer benchmarking by auditing the current status of human and institutional resources supporting the training and practice of radiation in medicine in both countries.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining a longitudinal quantitative survey and qualitative review of the literature. Data were collected between January 2024 and June 2025 through in-person interviews, WhatsApp, email, phone calls, and virtual meetings. Literature sources helped bridge data gaps.

Results

By June 2025, Nigeria and Ghana had a combined total of 5334 radiographers, 613 radiologists, and 399 medical physicists. Of 368 universities, 57 (15.5 %) offer radiography programmes, supported by 171 full-time academic staff, including 31 persons in professorial cadre. A regional postgraduate college and another country-specific one each train radiologists, radiation oncologists, and nuclear medicine physicians. Available equipment includes 326 CT scanners, 83 MRI units, 4794 x-ray machines, 168 mammography units, and 139 fluoroscopy systems. There are also 19 radiotherapy centres and 5 nuclear medicine facilities.

Conclusion

Nigeria leads in absolute number of human, material, and infrastructural resources in all terrains, and exclusively in authorship of local books and professional journals. However, Ghana's much lower population gives it a better per capita rating in almost all fronts. The resources and progress of these two countries also far outweighs what exists in the other West African countries. Nigeria and Ghana share much similar academic template, professional structures, and regulatory frameworks for seamless inter-country collaboration and integration. They also hold a huge potential to ignite collaboration with, and integration of other West African countries into a regional radiation in medicine family.

Implications for practice

The study has the potential to inspire healthy peer review of resources first, between Nigeria and Ghana, and next between other West African countries and the duo. This will strengthen regional assets leveraging, international collaboration, as well as improve standardization of training and practice.