The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, is absolutely correct to have highlighted the harvesting of human organs as an emerging dimension of Nigeria’s deepening social crisis. It would have amounted to a dereliction of duty for a national political leader to ignore such a disturbing development.
The alleged trade in human organs cannot be viewed in isolation. Poverty is a critical factor, intertwined with a glaring institutional deficit that raises fundamental questions about the efficacy and capacity of the Nigerian state. The challenge therefore requires a multidimensional response.
A genuine war on poverty must begin with an assault on its root causes, particularly the delusion that economic growth without corresponding job creation can meaningfully improve the lives of citizens. Growth that does not translate into decent employment, productive opportunities and improved living standards leaves millions vulnerable to desperation. Increasingly, some Nigerians are being driven by poverty to gamble not merely with their livelihoods, but with their lives and even their bodies.
The government must therefore invest in massive public works programmes capable of creating employment while simultaneously developing and importing critical skills. The administration of Lateef Jakande in Lagos State in the early 1980s demonstrated how purposeful public investment could generate jobs and produce profound social benefits.
At the same time, Nigeria must urgently rebuild its weak institutions. The police must become more proactive and strengthen the use of forensic science in crime prevention, investigation and detection. This requires a comprehensive overhaul of training and retraining programmes, as well as improved equipment and professional standards.
Medical regulatory institutions must equally become more vigilant and uncompromising. Any individuals within the health sector found facilitating criminal activities must face the full weight of the law. The same urgency should apply to agencies such as NAFDAC and other regulators whose effectiveness is critical to protecting citizens.
Nigeria cannot afford to dismiss early warnings until the crisis becomes a catastrophe. We must listen to voices such as Atiku’s, particularly when they draw attention to dangers that many would rather ignore. Preventing a looming social cataclysm requires vigilance, institutional reform, economic opportunity and, above all, the political will to act.
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