Business

Why organ trafficking is so common in Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2022

Medical doctors have given reasons black market or underground/illegal dealings in organ donation, harvesting and transplantation thrive in Nigeria. They identified lack of regulation and enforcement of medical ethics, poverty, inequality and unconscionable medical practitioners as facilitators.

To address the situation, the experts seek establishment of central coordination of organ transplantation similar to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), as well as direct investment, funding and legal framework for transplantation in Nigeria.

A consultant psychiatrist and former Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMH), Prof Femi Olugbile, told The Guardian that there are no properly codified Nigerian laws on organ transplantation; though he added that there is a vague mention of it in the 2015 National Health Act.

Olugbile said the generally observed rules and regulations relate to United Kingdom (UK) and the Western world, who require the donor to be preferably a blood relation, but if there is evidence of no suitable close kin, a volunteer may be sought.

He said the problem with UK is that the volunteer must show reason why he wants to donate an organ to a particular person instead of donating to the pool because there are over 6,000 persons with chronic renal failure awaiting such voluntary donations from living or recently deceased donors in the UK. As such, Olugbile said there must be no cash or other incentive for such donation.

According to him, Western regulations are nominally adopted and loosely enforced in Nigeria and other Third World countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Turkey. While they enforce the voluntary requirement ethically, the ‘kinship’ requirement is often cleverly circumvented.

“And they have no way of enforcing the no financial incentive requirement. Everybody needing an organ transplant would normally have the rules explained to them as detailed above and would be expected to comply. Anybody seeking or facilitating organ transplant in a foreign country must familiarise themselves with the country’s laws, as ‘ignorance is no excuse’,” he said.

Olugile said there have been allegations concerning some totalitarian societies like China, where organs are harvested from condemned criminals on death row. “There are also allegations of criminal gangs in the Middle East and elsewhere, who murder destitute persons and immigrants to harvest and sell their organs,” he said.

On the legal processes to be followed when a patient needs organ transfer, a team of medical experts in Transplant and Nephrology, who are Fellows of Academy of Medicine Specialties, led by Prof. Olayiwola Shittu of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State, told The Guardian: “This requires a close multidisciplinary collaboration between the surgeons, physicians and psychologists/psychiatrists to ensure that the patient and the donor are in the best frame of mind and have agreed to it.

“We only practice living donor transplantation in Nigeria, especially of solid organ like the kidney. The donor is interviewed independently and assessed for suitability and fitness for organ donation. There should be no element of coercion or even inducement. Organ donation is completely altruistic, voluntary, and no reward except the satisfaction that someone has been helped. All these elements must be evident in the interview.

“The psychiatrist would assess the patient for mental fitness as well. The patient and the donor are then assessed for organ compatibility. Currently, organ purchase, sale, and forceful harvest of organ are not allowed in Nigeria. The practice of organ transplantation relies heavily on medical ethics that enunciates respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, because there is no codified legal framework. In Ibadan, we sometimes ask the donor to obtain an affidavit to confirm the relationship and the fact that he/she has not been coerced in any way.”

On what to do so that recipients, donors and sponsors do not to run foul of the laws, locally and internationally, the team said the doctors should provide the guidance in this respect. “The processes of transparent and extensive discussions are held between the recipient, donor, doctors and the relatives. Besides, the onus is on the doctors to ensure that the transplantation is desirable, the donor is suitable, and both recipient and donor are well informed. Necessary papers are available to sign. Underage donors are discouraged. The National Health Bill provisions are not robust enough on this matter,” they stated.

Reacting to the question on why syndicates involved in connecting families to people who are willing to donate one of their kidneys are thriving, the team said they are thriving because there is no regulation and enforcement of medical ethics.

“Poverty, inequality, and power of the wealthy play a role. There is also aiding and abetting by unconscionable medical practitioners. It is this inequality that the Islamic Republic of Iran tries to eliminate by instituting a well-regulated organ sale/procurement. The government gets involved in direct organ purchase and equitable distribution so that it is not only the rich who benefits. Many professional bodies frown on this. I can say that many young people have approached us to sell their kidneys, but we have refused to link them up with recipients. The reasons are, of course, economic.”

A radiologist and oncologist, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, shared with The Guardian that: “Transplantation is the best and sometimes only form of treatment for many patients with end-stage organ failure. There are two sources that the medical community has used to provide organs for transplant purposes. The first is known as ‘Deceased Donation’, through use of organs from deceased persons, who have indicated, while alive, that they voluntarily donate their organs in the event of sudden demise, or in some cases of mass accidents with unknown corpses, who have died inter-state. The second is ‘Donation By Living Donors/‘Living Donation’, which donors can be first, second or third degree relations, such as spouses and siblings, or ‘Commercial Donors’ (Individuals who voluntarily choose to market their organs) and the last/worst option is organ harvesting of trafficked or kidnapped victims.

“Indeed, while deceased donation fails to meet the need for transplantable organs in all countries, it is almost non-existent in many countries, and it is this that has led to ever-increasing use of living donors as a source of kidneys and more recently, livers, especially in Low and Medium Income Countries (LMICs), such as Nigeria.

“Organ donation and transplantation have been the subject of extensive international interest in the past 10 years, at both governmental and professional levels. This interest has been driven by two main factors, the universal shortage of organs for transplantation and the wide international variation in donation and transplantation activity. Secondly, the need to ensure that all developments have a firm basis in legal and ethical practice with equity, quality and safety at their core.”

Okoye said organ donation and transplant rates vary widely across the globe, but there remains an almost universal shortage of deceased donors. She said the unmet need for transplants has resulted in many systematic approaches to increased donor rates, but there have also been practices that have crossed the boundaries of legal and ethical acceptability, such as commercial donors and organ harvesting of trafficked/kidnapped victims.

The radiologist said recent years have seen intense interest from international organisations, led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and professional bodies, like The Transplantation Society, adding that their efforts have focused on the development of a series of legal and ethical frameworks, designed to encourage all countries to eradicate unacceptable practices, while introducing programmes that strive to achieve national or regional self-sufficiency in meeting the need for organ transplants.

Okoye said unfortunately, in most LMICs, such as Nigeria, with inundating challenges of poor health systems driven by poor management of the country resources, inadequate/non-existent Universal Health Care (UHC) and real poor economic indices, living donation remains the mainstay of transplantation in many such parts of the world.

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Businesses count losses amid power outage in Bauchi, Gombe, and Jigawa

Published

2 months ago

October 28, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Business owners in Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa are recording losses due to week-long blackout ocassioned by vandalism of the power transmission line in parts of northern Nigeria.

The sudden disruption in electricity supply in the past days, also affected essential services such as water, sanitation, street lighting and healthcare delivery as most hospitals have been operating without light.

Some of the affected businesses including shop keepers, millers and artisans, who spoke while reacting to a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), described the situation as “pathetic”.

The survey examined the perennial collapse of national grid and the need for alternative power supply in the country.

Rice millers in Gombe had decried the impact of the erratic power supply on their businesses.

A Miller, Musa Arab, at Nassarawo Industrial Layout in Gombe, said the trend was crippling their operations as they relied on electricity supply from the grid to process paddy.

He said the mills were not operational power outage as they could not afford exorbitant pump prices of petrol or diesel to run their machines.

This, he said, reduced the volume of rice supply to the market and posed serious challenge to food security.

“We must invest in power because it is the biggest determining factor for industries to thrive.

“I have over 20 workers in my mill, and we have 100 mini rice mills here, so you can imagine those who have no jobs for the past 10 days.

“Government must go tough on those responsible for the perennial grid collapse because some persons may be benefitting from it,” he said.

Also, Yusuf Ibrahim said the situation might trigger the already fragile inflation, as prices of local varieties would shot up ocassioned by the diminish supply.

He said that some had jerked up their charges to cover the expenses on diesel thereby affecting rice prices.

A check by NAN at the Gombe Main market showed that a 100 kilogramme of rice was sold for between N120,000 and N160,000, as against N110,000 and N150,000, before the blackout.

Mr Usman Sani, a rice dealer, attributed the hike in price to low supply of the produce to the market in spite of the number harvest recorded this cropping season.

He said the prices had decreased slightly at the onset of the harvest, however, it showed sprawling increase due to power outage.

“The price of rice is already dropping as a result of harvest but the trend reverse since the blackout in the past days “ he said.

Ugochukwu Daniel, a bartender in Bauchi, decried the epileptic power supply in the country, adding that lack of durable energy supply would retard Nigeria’s quest to attain social and economic greatness.

Daniel said that she spent much on fuel to run power generator for refrigrator and lightening the beer parlour, to enable her to keep the business running.

He said that businesses could only thrive in an enabling environment with stable electricity supply, to enhance wealth creation and reduce poverty among Nigerians.

“My trade is about chill drinks and it survives on electricity to operate otherwise you will out of bussiness.

“Without electricity there is nothing you can do, and not only business but about everything. We depend on it,” he said.

Similarly, Samuel Adamu, said the persistent power outage had forced him to patronised charcoal for ironing clothes in spite of its high cost and cumbersome processes.

He said that most cleaners in the area had resorted to fabricated iron charcoal in spite of hike in its prices which suddenly jumped from N5,000 to N15,000.

Adamu said the situation also encouraged division of labour in laundry to cut cost and make some gains.

“Presently, I do wash the cloth, and engage someone for ironing. The charge is N300 per set as against N150”.

While advocated development of renewable energies to enhance power supply in the country, Adamu urged security agencies to entensify efforts towards electrical installations in the country.

In the same vein; Mr Muhammad Adamu, Chairman, Jigawa State House Assembly Commitee on Power and Energy, said the Jigawa Electricity Law 2024, made sound provisions to improve power generation and distribution in the state.

This, he said, was an offshoot of the devaluation brought about by the 5th alteration of the constitution, where removed power from the executive legislative list and to the concurrent list.

“It empowered the state houses of assembly to enact laws on power.

“The committee has also carefully pursued the bill and reviewed its structure and the promise it holds for the state power sector, infrastructure and the overall economy of the state.

“The new law will pave way for the establishment of Jigawa Electricity Commission, to regulate the state’s electricity market,” he said.

According to Adamu, the law will protect residents and investors in the energy sector through ensuring prepaid meter installation and possibility of recouping investor’s funds as well as address vandalism.

“The law will lead to provision of reliable, affordable and sustainable power, essential for development of all sectors of the economy, particularly in rural areas,” Adamu said.

“Vandalism will be over because we pay Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) money for powered supplies, but whenever there is problem of damages or broken down transformers, it is either the communities or individuals that pay for the repairs”.

Business

Mercedes urges delay of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

Published

2 months ago

October 21, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Mercedes urges delay of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

The head of German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz, has called for the European Union to de-escalate the dispute with China over tariffs on electric cars.

“We need more free trade instead of new trade barriers.

“That is why it is important to find a solution that suits both the EU and China,” chief executive Ola Källenius told the Monday edition of Bild newspaper.

“The negotiations for this take time. In order not to jeopardise them, the EU should postpone the enforcement of the planned tariffs,’’ he said.

At the start of the month, a majority of EU countries paved the way for additional tariffs of up to 35.3 per cent on battery-powered electric vehicles imported from China.

Germany, however, voted against the measure amid concerns over retaliatory actions which could hurt the country’s giant car industry.

The European Commission had pressed for extra tariffs after an investigation accused Beijing of subsidising domestic electric car manufacturers, and thus distorting the market in the EU.

But whether the import tariffs would actually come into force at the beginning of November is still up to the commission.

The plans can still be dismissed if Brussels reaches a solution with China at the negotiating table.

Business

ACCI moves to promote business connections, balance work-life

Published

2 months ago

October 16, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

ACCI moves to promote business connections, balance work-life

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), is taking innovative steps to enhance professional relationships and promote a healthy work-life balance.

The President of ACCI, Dr Emeka Obegolu, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Obegolu said ACCI was committed to creating environments where professionals could connect beyond the confines of traditional boardrooms.

He said the upcoming “Business Meets Golf’’ Tournament epitomises this vision.

“Scheduled for Oct. 18 to Oct 19 at the IBB Golf Club, the tournament will gather industry leaders, top executives, and key decision-makers for a unique networking experience.

“This two-day event aims not only to strengthen business ties but also to foster partnerships that can drive economic growth.

“The ACCI’s initiative reistates the importance of maintaining a balance between professional achievement and personal well-being.

“By encouraging corporate cultures that prioritise relaxation and self-care, the Chamber acknowledges that such balance is vital for productivity and overall success,” he said.

According to Obegolu, the event will feature a range of activities designed to facilitate both business engagement and relaxation.

“Highlights include a Business-to-Business (B2B) cocktail on the first day, followed by the golf tournament and additional networking opportunities on the second day.

“The tournament will culminate in an awards ceremony recognising outstanding golfers among the participants.

“‘Business Meets Golf’ exemplifies our dedication to fostering innovative networking opportunities.

“We aim to create spaces for meaningful discussions that can lead to impactful collaborations,” Obegolu said.

The ACCI boss said in addition to promoting business connectivity, the council aimed to restate the importance of relaxation and a balanced lifestyle.

Obegolu said through events like this, the Chamber continued to play a pivotal role in supporting trade and industry in Nigeria while driving sustainable growth within the private sector.

He said to raise awareness about this landmark event, ACCI was partnering with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Media Trust Limited, to ensure broad visibility and engagement from leading brands.