11/03/2026
Tribute to Professor Josbert Thomas Kofi Duncan*
St. Cyril Cancer Treatment Foundation and Oak Cancer Specialist Hospitals join family, friends, colleagues, and the academic and medical communities across Africa in mourning the passing of Professor Josbert Thomas Kofi Duncan, a distinguished oncologist, pioneering scholar, mentor, and compassionate leader whose life was devoted to advancing medicine, education, and the service of humanity.
Professor Duncan was a trailblazer in cancer care in West Africa and one of the earliest oncologists and radiotherapists in the region. Over the course of a remarkable career spanning several decades, he made extraordinary contributions to oncology, medical education, and the development of cancer treatment services in Nigeria and beyond. He was among the first specialists in radiotherapy and cancer management in West Africa and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists in England in 1961, a distinction that placed him among the pioneering generation of African cancer specialists.
Professor Duncan also played a historic role in strengthening cancer treatment infrastructure in Nigeria. He was instrumental in bringing one of the first radiotherapy machines to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), a milestone that significantly expanded the country’s capacity to treat cancer patients at a time when such services were extremely limited. Through his work as a Professor of Oncology, he cared for countless patients while helping to train and mentor generations of doctors and specialists who continue to shape cancer care across the region.