Dr. Isaac Alatise, a Nigerian surgeon, came to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) for clinical training and research education in 2009. Following this visit, MSK established a partnership with Dr. Alatise’s home institution, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile Ife, Nigeria. 

This collaboration proved to be mutually beneficial, and subsequently, the Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives program was established at MSK in 2011 to harness MSK’s expertise to address cancer burden globally. Aligned with this effort, Dr. T. Peter Kingham, Director of Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives, and Dr. Alatise founded the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) in 2013 to facilitate cancer research and training initiatives in Nigeria.

ARGO is an NCI-recognized consortium with the goals of generating data to inform regional evidence-based management recommendations, investigating prevention and early detection strategies, increasing access to cancer care, and improving cancer-care training in rural and underserved communities. The ARGO Consortium includes 26 institutions across Nigeria.