Cancer Genomics Research in Nigeria: A Scoping Review of Study Characteristics and Knowledge Gaps

Background: Cancer places a large and growing burden on Nigeria, yet African-ancestry genomes remain markedly underrepresented in the datasets that underpin precision oncology, and Nigeria-specific cancer genomics research has not been comprehensively mapped at the national level. Methods: A PRISMA-ScR scoping review was conducted, searching PubMed, Dimensions, Europe PMC, and the Global Index Medicus for primary research reporting host genomic or genetic data, and HPV genotyping of cancer-relevant infection, from Nigerian cancer, precursor, or comparison-group populations, published 2006-2026. Searches identified 1,111 records, from which 79 studies met eligibility criteria. Results: Breast (27 studies, 34%) and cervical cancer (25 studies, 32%) accounted for two-thirds of the included literature, while prostate cancer, Nigeria's second-leading cancer by case count, was the subject of only 6 studies (8%). Candidate-gene genotyping and immunohistochemistry predominated over next-generation sequencing (NGS), used in just 18 studies (23%), of which 9 sequenced host tumour or germline DNA. In the small number of whole-exome and whole-genome studies of breast and prostate cancer, Nigerian cohorts showed mutational signatures, driver regions, and rates of potentially actionable alterations (notably BRCA1/2, TP53) that differed from TCGA reference cohorts; these findings await replication. Circulating high-risk HPV genotypes varied across cohorts and often departed from the HPV16/18 pattern, with HPV31, 35, 45, and 52 recurring as leading types; of these, only HPV35 is not covered by the 9-valent vaccine. Study sites were concentrated in southwestern Nigeria, led by Lagos and Ibadan (>1/3 of site-mentions), and potentially clinically actionable findings were frequently reported in settings with limited access to targeted therapies. Conclusion: Nigerian cancer genomics research is growing, but remains narrow, methodologically conservative, and largely disconnected from clinical care. Closing the gaps in under-studied cancers, sequencing capacity, geographic reach, and clinical translation should be a priority for future Nigerian cancer genomics research and precision oncology planning. Supplementary files: Table S1 (study characteristics, principal findings and publication status of the 79 included studies), Table S2 (PRISMA-ScR checklist), Table S3 (full database search strategies), and File S1 (screening and data-extraction workbook).