Atiku Decries Organ Sales by Nigerian Youths Driven by Economic Woes

Atiku Abubakar, who previously served as Vice President and was the presidential flagbearer for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has voiced profound worry regarding widespread accounts of Nigerian youths reportedly resorting to selling their kidneys as a desperate measure to navigate the nation's escalating cost of living. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Mr. Abubakar highlighted the alarming nature of these reports, particularly those indicating young individuals are parting with their organs for sums as low as N1.7 million, attributing this trend to the severe desperation fueled by increasing living expenses.

Reacting to these disturbing revelations, Atiku stressed that rather than being compelled to consider selling their body parts for survival, young Nigerians should be channeling their talents, innovative ideas, and creativity into building a promising future for themselves. He directly linked this dire situation to the continuously rising prices of essential commodities and services, including foodstuffs, transportation fares, rental costs, school fees, medications, and electricity tariffs.

His post on X conveyed his concerns, stating, ''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. Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs. Yet when the cost-of-living crisis becomes unbearable, desperation begins to make the unthinkable appear like an option. That should offend the conscience of every Nigerian. 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. Yet young Nigerians are reportedly being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million. That should break the heart of a nation. Young Nigerians should be building careers, starting businesses, raising families and pursuing their dreams, not calculating how much parts of their bodies can fetch simply to stay alive. 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. Nigeria already has laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and organ trafficking. But laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks. No government should celebrate “reforms” while young Nigerians are being reduced to selling parts of themselves to eat, pay rent, settle school fees or survive. 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. Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for ₦1.7 million just to survive at home. This is the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis.''