Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over reports that some young Nigerians are allegedly selling their kidneys to cope with the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
In a post shared on X, Atiku described reports of young Nigerians selling their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million as a disturbing indication of the level of desperation caused by rising living costs.
He said young Nigerians should be using their talents, ideas and innovation to build successful futures rather than being pushed into considering the sale of their body organs as a means of survival.
Atiku linked the reported trend to the rising cost of essential goods and services, including food, transportation, rent, school fees, healthcare and electricity.
He argued that the situation should concern every Nigerian, warning that the country was facing a deeper crisis when young people began viewing their body organs as a means of raising emergency funds.
According to him, although Nigeria has laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and trafficking, legislation alone cannot address the poverty and desperation that leave vulnerable citizens exposed to criminal networks.
Atiku called for economic policies that would provide affordable food, accessible healthcare, decent employment opportunities and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
He maintained that young Nigerians should be building careers, starting businesses and taking their ideas to the world rather than being driven to sell parts of their bodies simply to survive.
“This is the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis,” Atiku said.
