Nigeria is at the centre of a disturbing global organ trafficking network, with over 651 kidneys worth more than N41 billion allegedly sold on the black market between 2015 and 2020, according to a leading medical expert.
News Point Nigeria reports that Prof. Aliyu Abdu, a renowned nephrologist at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and consultant physician at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), made the revelation during a seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards organized by the Clarion Call Care Foundation in Abuja.
Prof. Abdu explained that organ trafficking is a booming criminal industry globally, with an estimated 10,000 kidneys sold illegally every year, averaging one kidney every hour worldwide.
“Unfortunately, Nigeria is a significant player in this trade. Between 2015 and 2020 alone, about 651 kidneys were trafficked and transplanted illegally in the country,” he said.
He warned that the illicit business is driven by poverty, inequality, unethical medical practices, and weak regulation, with unscrupulous medical professionals acting as facilitators.
The professor painted a grim picture of the plight of organ donors, many of whom are poor, vulnerable, and lured by the promise of financial reward.
“Victims are mostly impoverished people who are easily influenced by financial incentives and are ignorant of the possible risks involved. Some are even coerced or forced into giving up their organs,” he said.
According to him, after the transplants are completed, most donors are left without proper post-surgery care, often suffering lifelong health complications, depression, and financial ruin.
Prof. Abdu described the kidney black market as a sophisticated underworld enterprise, involving illegal brokers, ‘organ hunters,’ and even licensed medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, anaesthetists, ambulance drivers, and travel agents.
“These criminal networks connect desperate donors to wealthy recipients, turning human suffering into a lucrative business,” he said.
While Nigeria has a legal framework, the National Health Act of 2014, which prohibits the commercialization of human organs, Prof. Abdu lamented that enforcement remains weak.
The Act allows for reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred by a donor, but criminalizes any financial exchange for an organ, prescribing fines and imprisonment for offenders.
It also prohibits kidney removal from anyone under 18 or over 65 years old.
Despite these legal provisions, Prof. Abdu said illegal transplants persist due to poor enforcement, lack of cadaveric donation systems, and inadequate organ banks.
The nephrologist called on the Federal Government, medical associations, and security agencies to intensify efforts to regulate transplantation practices, monitor medical professionals, and educate the public about the risks of illegal organ sales.
“Without stronger enforcement and ethical medical practices, organ trafficking will continue to thrive, deepening inequality and causing untold suffering for the most vulnerable,” Prof. Abdu warned.
