The growing shadow of illegal organ trade has cast a significant concern across Nigeria and the wider West African region. Recent research and emerging reports have brought to light a worrying trend: an underground market for human kidneys, with a thriving network reaching from struggling local communities to global black-market operations.
The Scale of the Underground Kidney Trade
According to Professor Aliyu Abdu, a renowned nephrologist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and Professor of Medicine at Bayero University, Kano, the global black market witnesses the illicit sale of around 10,000 kidneys every year—a sale occurring roughly once every hour. Between 2015 and 2020, Nigeria alone saw an estimated 651 kidneys trafficked and transplanted illegally, transactions reportedly surpassing a staggering value of $41 billion globally during that period. While these figures highlight the global scope, they also underscore Nigeria’s significant role as both a source and a transit point for this illegal enterprise.
How Vulnerable Populations Become Targets
During a recent seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards, hosted by the Clarion Call Care Foundation in Abuja, Prof. Abdu shed light on the faces behind the statistics. “Many of those who become organ donors are subject to coercion, manipulation, or the heavy burden of poverty,” he explained.
Most victims come from low-income backgrounds. Desperation for financial relief and a lack of awareness about health risks make them susceptible targets for traffickers. “They are promised quick rewards but are rarely informed of the dangers or the long-term consequences to their health,” Prof. Abdu emphasized. In several heartbreaking cases, individuals are forced or pressured into giving up a kidney, sometimes without even proper consent or understanding of the operation’s impact.
Why the Trade Flourishes in Nigeria
Organ trafficking continues to gain ground in Nigeria for several reasons:
- Pervasive poverty that leaves people vulnerable to exploitation
- Deep social and economic inequality
- Unethical practices by some medical professionals
- Weak regulatory systems and insufficient enforcement of medical ethics
Prof. Abdu pointed out that the lack of robust regulatory oversight enables unscrupulous practitioners and brokers to thrive. While poverty and misinformation create a pool of potential donors, gaps in law enforcement and monitoring allow illegal activities to proceed with few consequences.
The Dark Path from Recruitment to Surgery
Kidney trafficking, as experts note, involves a powerful alliance between common criminals and professionals within the medical field. The illicit chain is often comprised of ‘organ hunters,’ brokers, medical staff (including some doctors, nurses, and anaesthetists), ambulance and travel agents, and even insurance facilitators. These actors operate in secrecy, moving organs from vulnerable donors to paying recipients both locally and internationally.
Reports suggest that once the transplant operation is concluded, many organ donors are left with little or no support. “Victims often do not receive sufficient post-surgery medical attention or financial assistance,” Prof. Abdu noted. “As a result, many suffer ongoing health challenges and psychological distress, with some developing depression or diseases from improper and unethical handling of their cases.”
The Regulatory Landscape and International Definitions
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines organ trafficking as the recruitment, transport, transfer, or reception of individuals or their organs—living or deceased—through coercion, deception, or force for the purpose of removal or transplantation. This definition forms the basis for many national laws and enforcement efforts worldwide.
In Nigeria, the legal backbone of organ donation and transplantation is the National Health Act of 2014. This act strictly prohibits any form of commercialization of human organs and mandates that informed consent must be obtained from the donor before any tissue is removed. Violations can attract criminal charges, but enforcement remains a challenge amid complex socioeconomic realities.
Lack of Alternatives Fuels the Market
A major driver of the illegal organ trade is the shortage of alternatives when it comes to life-saving transplants. In Nigeria, the absence of established cadaveric (deceased donor) programs or accessible organ banks pushes patients in need of transplants to seek desperate solutions. Long hospital waiting lists and inadequate public awareness on legal donations further propel the underground market.
The Human Impact: Stories from the Ground
The human cost of organ trafficking goes beyond statistics. In interviews with local journalists, some survivors have shared stories of being approached with false promises, only to endure lasting health complications after their kidneys were removed. One Lagos-based social worker recounted incidents where individuals, post-surgery, could not return to work, and with no compensation or support, they descended into poverty and ill health.
Medical professionals also raised concerns about the stigma attached to both donors and recipients of illegally obtained organs, which can deter people from coming forward for help.
What Needs to Change?
Several stakeholders, including healthcare advocates and human rights campaigners, are calling for a multi-pronged response:
- Strengthen oversight and enforcement of organ transplantation laws
- Promote public education about the risks and processes of legal organ donation
- Support the establishment of national organ banks and transparent donation systems
- Develop social programs to reduce poverty and inequality, cutting off traffickers’ access to vulnerable donors
- Implement strict penalties for medical professionals and agents found complicit in illegal organ trade
Local medical experts also urge more robust mental and physical aftercare for both legal and illegal donors, including access to counseling and medical follow-up.
West Africa and Global Comparisons
While Nigeria faces acute challenges, other West African countries like Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire also report incidents of organ trafficking, albeit at lower levels, partly due to tighter controls or smaller transplant industries. Nevertheless, as with most global trends, vulnerabilities in one country can quickly ripple across borders. Regional cooperation and a pan-African framework for ethical organ donation could help address cross-border trafficking networks and protect vulnerable populations.
Expert Perspectives and the Way Forward
Lagos-based public health expert Dr. Chinyere Okafor emphasizes, “Nigeria needs a comprehensive approach—education, regulation, and economic empowerment—to tackle this crisis. Communities must be involved in policy development so solutions are locally relevant and sustainable.”
Nigerians and West Africans everywhere are being called on to raise awareness, challenge damaging myths, and demand better protection for those at risk. The path to ending organ trafficking is complex, but targeted action offers hope for a safer, more ethical future.
What’s your perspective on organ trafficking in Nigeria and across West Africa? Should more be done at the community or national level? Drop your comments below and join the conversation—your voice matters. For more news, analysis, and updates on health, policy, and social issues, stay with us.
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