Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over reports that some young Nigerians are allegedly resorting to selling their kidneys and other body organs as economic hardship deepens across the country.
Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, expressed concern in a post on his X handle on Friday, describing the reported development as a disturbing indication of the level of desperation confronting young Nigerians.
He said young people should be focused on building careers, pursuing their ambitions and developing innovative ideas rather than being pushed into considering the sale of their body organs as a means of survival.
“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive,” Atiku said, describing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies, particularly kidneys, as among the most troubling consequences of the current economic situation.
He added: “Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs.”
Atiku linked the alleged desperation to the rising cost of basic necessities, including food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity, which he said had made life increasingly difficult for many Nigerians.
According to him, reports that some young Nigerians were allegedly being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million demonstrate the severity of the cost-of-living crisis.
The former vice president argued that laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and trafficking alone cannot adequately address the problem if poverty continues to leave vulnerable people desperate for money.
He maintained that economic reforms must go beyond headline economic indicators and translate into tangible improvements in the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
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“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,” he said.
Atiku further argued that Nigeria’s young population should be empowered to turn their talents, ideas and creativity into opportunities rather than being forced into desperate choices.
“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,” he said.
His comments place the human consequences of Nigeria’s economic difficulties at the centre of the ongoing debate over the country’s reforms, particularly concerns about how rising living costs are affecting vulnerable citizens.
While Atiku blamed the Tinubu administration for worsening the economic burden on Nigerians, his remarks also highlight a broader concern: when basic necessities become increasingly difficult to afford, desperation can expose vulnerable people to exploitation by criminal networks.