Nigeria may soon have a regulated, transparent system for deceased organ and tissue donations as a milestone bill passes its second reading in the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and six other lawmakers, the proposed legislation—titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish a National Deceased Organ and Tissue Donation Programme”—sets out to build a structured framework covering donor identification, organ preservation, recipient allocation, and surgical procedures nationwide.
At the heart of the bill is the creation of a National Deceased Donation and Transplantation Authority, headquartered in Abuja with zonal centers to coordinate operations across all regions. Co-sponsor of the bill, Representative Patrick Umoh, emphasized that without a clear legal framework, vulnerable citizens remain at risk of exploitation—a gap that undermines public trust in the country’s medical system.
To ensure fairness, organs will be distributed strictly through a centralized National Organ Allocation and Matching System based on an established waiting list, rather than awarded on the basis of wealth, political influence, or social status.
Significantly, the bill guarantees that a patient’s inability to pay for a transplant cannot be used as grounds to remove them from the national waiting list.
The legislation also takes a hard stance against illegal practices, imposing a strict ban on human organ trafficking, transplant tourism, commercial organ brokerage, and any paid dealings in human organs and tissues.
The comprehensive bill, containing 172 clauses divided into 16 parts, adopts a voluntary opt-in consent model where competent adults can authorize organ donation after death.
Under this model, a valid first-person authorization remains legally binding even if family members object after the donor’s passing, while a valid refusal to donate must equally be respected.
To safeguard medical integrity, the determination of death must be conducted entirely independent of the transplantation process, supported by independent confirmation.
Furthermore, the proposed law provides for the strict accreditation and licensing of medical facilities and professionals, bio-vigilance tracking, donor audits, and safety alerts.
In addition to regulatory controls, the framework mandates comprehensive support for donor families, including psychological counseling, bereavement services, and spiritual guidance upon request.
The authority will also publish annual performance reports to maintain public accountability while keeping donor and recipient medical records strictly confidential.
With its passage through the second reading, the bill now proceeds to the committee stage for further legislative consideration.
