For thousands of Nigerians living with kidney disease, the cost of dialysis has often meant choosing between treatment and survival. At an average of ₦50,000 per session, many patients were unable to keep up with the frequency of care required — sometimes three times a week.
Now, in a step to ease that burden, the Federal Government has approved a subsidy scheme that slashes the cost of dialysis to ₦12,000 per session. The move, officials say, is aimed at saving lives, reducing financial hardship, and bringing Nigeria closer to universal health coverage.
“This intervention is a deliberate initiative to bring relief to patients with kidney-related diseases,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement, assuring Nigerians that more hospitals will be added as the programme expands.
The scheme is currently running in 11 federal tertiary health facilities, spread across Nigeria’s geo-political zones:
- Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano
- University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi
- University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Plateau
- National Hospital, Abuja
- Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos
- University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo
- University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo
- Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa
- Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Imo
- Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi
The government stressed that no region has been excluded, despite reports to the contrary, and promised that the scheme will gradually cover more hospitals nationwide.