In response to a recent Daily Trust report titled “Inside Abuja’s Kidney ‘Market,'” the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Development, Ali Pate, has pledged decisive actions to address criminal activities in health practices, particularly the alarming illegal kidney trade in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
The investigative report exposed a clandestine network involved in the illegal kidney trade, revealing an ‘official’ price of one million naira for a kidney in the black market. The report detailed the activities of kidney agents strategically positioned in satellite communities, targeting and enticing young men from low economic backgrounds to sell their kidneys.
Expressing his concern via social media, Minister Ali Pate acknowledged the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that the National Health Act of 2014 clearly prohibits such illegal activities (sections 51-56). He lamented the depth of depravity and criminality prevalent in certain sections of society, comparing it to other acts of criminality.
The minister highlighted that the central issues revolve around enforcing existing regulations and preventing the evasion of legal and regulatory guidelines by unpatriotic criminal elements. Drawing attention to the government’s commitment to improving regulations, he pointed to the recent inauguration of the Tertiary Hospitals Care Standards Committee as a testament to ongoing efforts.
Minister Pate emphasized that Nigeria has a robust policy and legal framework enabling the regulation of health practices, including medically necessary transplantation. He assured the public that the government is determined to take decisive actions to address the reported illegal organ trade, underscoring the importance of upholding the rule of law in health practices across the country.
