Nigerian Youth Selling Organs Amid Cost-of-Living Crisis

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), raised alarm over reports of young Nigerians selling their organs, especially kidneys, as a means of survival amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. In a post on his official X handle on Friday, Atiku described these reports as “disturbing” and “horrifying,” emphasizing that young people should focus on building careers and innovation rather than resorting to such desperate measures.

He noted that essential needs, including food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine, and electricity, are becoming increasingly unaffordable, with reports indicating that some youths are selling their kidneys for as little as N1.7 million. Atiku criticized the inadequacy of existing laws against commercial organ sales and trafficking, stating that legislation alone cannot tackle the poverty driving these actions.

He called for economic policies that prioritize affordability and welfare, asserting that reforms must ensure access to affordable food, transportation, healthcare, and decent jobs for the next generation.