The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has inaugurated the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC) to strengthen oversight and ensure ethical organ and tissue transplantation practices across Nigeria.
The move, in line with the provisions of the National Health Act 2014, comes amid growing concerns over illegal and exploitative transplantation activities.
The committee is chaired by Professor Philip O. Abiodun, a renowned paediatrician and medical ethicist.
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Earlier in March 2025, the committee, working with experts from within Nigeria and the diaspora, unveiled the 2025 Standards and Guidelines for Establishing and Coordinating Organ/Tissue Transplantation in Nigeria. The framework sets out protocols for safe, ethical, and globally compliant transplantation services.
To further disseminate the guidelines, the ministry, in partnership with the Clarion Call Care Foundation (CCCF), convened a one-day stakeholder seminar in Abuja under the theme: “Promoting Safe, Ethical and Accessible Transplantation Practices through Awareness and Stakeholders’ Engagement.”
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abiodun warned that weak regulation could expose Nigerians to unsafe medical practices, exploitation, and declining public confidence.
He cited reports of underage and impoverished citizens coerced into organ donation, and cases of young women recruited repeatedly for egg donation without adequate knowledge of the health risks.
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“The 2025 Standards and Guidelines are Nigeria’s powerful tool to regulate every aspect of organ and tissue transplantation—ensuring donor and recipient safety, maintaining quality care, and eliminating malpractice and unethical conduct,” he said.
The committee outlined its next steps, including:
Mandatory registration of health institutions and practitioners involved in transplantation;
Establishment of a National Organ Donation and Transplantation Registry to track procedures and outcomes;
Creation of organ and tissue banking facilities to improve availability;
Integration of transplantation services into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to reduce costs for patients.
Prof. Abiodun called for support from philanthropists, development partners, and the private sector to sustain the initiatives through funding, technical expertise, and advocacy.
In her remarks, Dr. Iyore James, President of CCCF, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to promoting ethical transplantation practices, while commending the ministry’s leadership.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju S. Kachallom, mni, was also recognised for his role in supporting the committee’s work.
Stakeholders at the seminar agreed that collective action and strict enforcement of standards are key to building a safe, ethical, and equitable transplantation system in Nigeria.