230,000 Nigerians in need of kidney transplant – Prof

A Professor of Internal Medicine and Nephrology at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Oghenekaro Egbi, has warned that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on track to become the fifth leading cause of death globally. Delivering the university’s 65th inaugural lecture titled “The Human Kidney: Casualty of Societal […]

A Professor of Internal Medicine and Nephrology at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Oghenekaro Egbi, has warned that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on track to become the fifth leading cause of death globally.

Delivering the university’s 65th inaugural lecture titled “The Human Kidney: Casualty of Societal Maladies; An SOS Distress Call,” Prof. Egbi said an estimated 230,000 Nigerians currently require life-saving interventions such as dialysis or kidney transplantation.

He attributed the rising burden of CKD to the increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, coupled with persistent infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV. This, he said, has created a double disease burden in the country.

Prof. Egbi noted that more than 68 per cent of admissions at a tertiary hospital in Bayelsa State involved NCD-related conditions, with genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors contributing significantly.

Highlighting his research findings, he said modern dietary habits play a major role in the rising incidence of kidney disease.

“We live in a changing world where it is more convenient to patronize restaurants and food outlets. Many industrially prepared foods are highly processed and contain artificial additives, flavours, sugar, sodium, refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats,” he said.

He listed soft drinks, canned beverages, processed meats, flavoured yoghurt, salted nuts, hamburgers and instant noodles as examples of widely consumed ultra-processed foods linked to a 24 per cent higher risk of kidney disease.

Egbi explained that while red and processed meats have also been associated with kidney problems, other major contributors in Nigeria include glomerulonephritis caused by infections and environmental exposures.

Prof. Egbi also highlighted environmental influences, noting that kidney disease was more prevalent in Obunagha, a gas-flaring community, compared to the non-gas-flaring Azikoro. He said residents living near gas-flaring sites face increased risk of reduced kidney function.

He added that poverty remains a major driver of poor health outcomes. Quoting the National Bureau of Statistics (2025), he said 63 per cent of Nigerians are considered multi-dimensionally poor, making adequate CKD management extremely difficult.

According to him, high treatment costs force many patients to abandon care early. “Up to 61 per cent of patients in a dialysis centre in Bayelsa State could not afford sessions beyond the first week,” he said.

While about 30 per cent of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients in developed countries undergo kidney transplantation, he noted that fewer than one out of every 100 Nigerian patients attempt it, due to out-of-pocket costs, inadequate infrastructure, low awareness and manpower shortages.

He called for improved health awareness, better policy support, strengthened healthcare systems and greater investment in preventive measures to reduce the growing burden of kidney disease in Nigeria.