With the President’s directive, thousands of Nigerians battling kidney failure are expected to gain renewed hope for treatment and survival.

Kidney patients across Nigeria have received a major relief as President Bola Tinubu approved a drastic reduction in the cost of dialysis treatment in federal hospitals from ?50,000 to ?12,000.

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The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Information, Daniel Bwala, made the announcement on Monday, August 18, via his official X handle, noting that the policy has already taken effect in several federal medical centres and teaching hospitals across the six geopolitical zones.

“This subsidy is a reflection of the President’s commitment to making healthcare accessible and easing the financial burden on Nigerians,” Bwala stated.

Federal Hospitals With Reduced Dialysis Costs In Nigeria

Nigerian kidney patients will now be receiving dialysis treatment at least 10 federal hospitals nationwide following President Tinubu’s directive to reduce costs from ?50,000 to ?12,000. [AFP via Getty Images]

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According to the Presidency, dialysis at the newly subsidised rate is now available at the following facilities: Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Metta, Lagos; FMC Jabi, Abuja; University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; FMC Owerri, Imo; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Borno; FMC Abeokuta, Ogun; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); FMC Azare, Bauchi; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo; and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Cross River.

Bwala also revealed that more federal hospitals would be added before the year runs out, ensuring that more patients across the country benefit from the initiative.

Beyond dialysis, the Presidency highlighted that this reform is part of a wider healthcare strategy by the Tinubu administration.

Other programmes include the establishment of oncology and diagnostic centres, the retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers, the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to strengthen primary healthcare access, and the approval of free Caesarean sections for vulnerable pregnant women in federal hospitals.

Healthcare advocates have long called for reduced dialysis costs, noting that many kidney patients abandon treatment due to its prohibitive price.

With the President’s directive, thousands of Nigerians battling kidney failure are expected to gain renewed hope for treatment and survival.

“This is not just policy,” Bwala added, “it is about saving lives and restoring dignity to Nigerian families.”

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