Ayomide Awe
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has raised the alarm over reports that some young Nigerians are allegedly resorting to selling their kidneys for as little as N1.7m amid the worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Atiku described the reported development as a disturbing indication of the depth of economic hardship in the country, warning that poverty and desperation could leave vulnerable young Nigerians exposed to criminal networks involved in illegal organ trafficking.
The former Vice President made the remarks in a statement on Friday while blaming the rising cost of food, transportation, accommodation, education, healthcare and electricity on the economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
According to him, young Nigerians should be deploying their creativity and talents to build sustainable livelihoods rather than being pushed into desperate choices involving their bodies.
“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive. Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies: kidneys in particular, in desperate attempts to raise money,” Atiku said.
He added, “Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs.”
Atiku argued that the alleged sale of kidneys for as little as N1.7m should not be viewed merely as an isolated economic problem, but as a warning about the consequences of prolonged financial pressure on vulnerable citizens.
“Yet young Nigerians are reportedly being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as N1.7m. That should break the heart of a nation,” he said.
“When young Nigerians begin to see their kidneys as emergency savings, we are no longer talking about ordinary economic hardship. We are talking about desperation at its most frightening.”
The ADC presidential flagbearer said the increasing cost of basic necessities had made it increasingly difficult for many Nigerians to maintain a decent standard of living.
He said, “In Tinubu’s Nigeria, almost everything required to live with dignity is becoming more expensive by the day: food, transport, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity.”
Atiku said while Nigeria had laws prohibiting the commercial sale of human organs and organ trafficking, enforcement alone would not address the underlying economic conditions that could make vulnerable people susceptible to exploitation.
“Laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks,” he stated.
He therefore called for economic reforms that would produce tangible improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians, particularly through lower living costs, employment opportunities and improved access to basic services.
According to him, government policies must be designed around the welfare of ordinary citizens rather than focusing solely on macroeconomic indicators.
“Economic reform must have a human face. It must mean affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs and renewed hope for the next generation,” Atiku said.
“Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for N1.7m just to survive at home.
“This is the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis.”
Atiku’s comments come amid reports of an ongoing police investigation into an alleged organ-harvesting and human-trafficking operation involving four suspects, including two nephrologists.
However, the reported kidney sales cited by Atiku should be understood as allegations and reports rather than evidence that Nigerian youths generally are selling their organs because of the economic crisis.
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