Nigeria has unveiled on Thursday March 6 a set of comprehensive standards and guidelines for organ and tissue transplants, aimed at regulating a sector that has long been marred by ethical concerns and exploitation, according to the country’s Health minister. Despite advancements in medical expertise, Nigeria’s organ transplant system has been hindered by donor shortages, cultural issues, and weak laws, which have led to an increase in trafficking and exploitation.
The new guidelines are designed to ensure transparency and adherence to international best practices in organ transplantation, in Africa’s most populous nation. They explicitly ban the sale of organs and establish regulations for kidney, liver, bone marrow, cornea, gamete, and embryo donations, as well as surrogacy. Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, highlighted that these regulations aim to foster a system grounded in voluntary donations and transparent allocation, protecting vulnerable groups from exploitation.
Jimoh Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services at the Ministry of Health, expressed concern over recent troubling incidents involving organ transplants. These incidents, he explained, often involve victims from impoverished backgrounds who are exploited by criminal cartels, lured with money or false promises of a better life. The new guidelines are intended to address these issues and create a safer, more ethical framework for organ transplants in Nigeria.