A professor of medicine at Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and consultant nephrologist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Prof. Aliyu Abdu, has revealed that at least 651 kidneys valued at more than $41 billion were trafficked and transplanted illegally in Nigeria between 2015 and 2020.
He disclosed this while speaking at a seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards in Abuja, warning that the black market for organs is thriving in Nigeria due to weak regulation.
Prof. Abdu said the development is part of a global racket where an estimated 10,000 kidneys are sold every year.
Although the National Health Act of 2014 prohibits the sale of human organs and mandates donor consent, he noted that enforcement remains poor, exposing impoverished Nigerians to exploitation.
“Victims are mostly impoverished people who are easily influenced by financial incentives and ignorant of the possible risks involved,” he explained, lamenting that many donors are abandoned without post-surgery care, often battling depression and disease.
According to him, the trade is run by an organised criminal network involving illegal brokers, ‘organ hunters,’ physicians, nurses, ambulance drivers, and even travel and insurance agents.
He further attributed the thriving market to the absence of cadaveric donations and the lack of functional organ banks in the country.
