President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved an 80% subsidy for kidney dialysis treatment, reducing the cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000 per session for patients across Nigeria.
The subsidy is being implemented in federal medical institutions across the six geopolitical zones, including:
- Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta, Lagos
- Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja
- University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan
- Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri
- University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri
- Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta
- Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos
- Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Azare
- University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin
- University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar
Positive Impact on Patients
The subsidy was launched in January at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi. According to Hammatu Haruna, the manager of the renal centre, patients have responded positively to the initiative.
“They are now paying only ₦12,000, and we have seen remarkable improvements in their health conditions,” she said.
She noted that before the subsidy, many patients struggled to afford dialysis, with some even selling their belongings or skipping treatment due to financial constraints.
Since its launch on January 8, 2025, at least 35 patients have benefited from the programme. The Federal Ministry of Health has also supplied resources, including one dialysis machine and over 900 dialysers, to ensure its success.
Rising Cases of Kidney Failure in Nigeria
Recently, there has been a surge in kidney failure cases across the country. In February, the Yobe State government deployed 50 health experts to investigate the causes of the increasing cases in parts of the state.
The investigative team, led by Mahmud Maina, director of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre at Yobe State University, includes nephrologists, geologists, chemists, and toxicologists, with support from experts in the UK, US, and Ghana.
Their research will involve interviewing 2,000 residents in Bade and Damaturu LGAs to determine if the causes of kidney failure are environmental, lifestyle-related, or genetic.
With this dialysis subsidy, the Nigerian government aims to ease the financial burden on kidney patients and improve access to lifesaving treatment nationwide.
