FG mandates licensing for all organ transplant facilities in Nigeria

The Federal Government has announced that all health facilities involved in organ transplantation in Nigeria must be registered and licensed before operating. 

Additionally, such facilities are required to establish independent, facility-based Organ Transplantation Committees separate from their medical transplantation teams. 

The government also revealed that plans for a nationwide inspection of organ transplant facilities, aimed at accreditation and licensing by the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC), are at an advanced stage. 

Furthermore, efforts are underway to establish a National Organ Transplantation Registry. 

These developments were disclosed on Thursday in Abuja during the unveiling of the Standards and Guidelines for the Establishment and Coordination of Organ/Tissue Transplantation Services in Nigeria.

The document, developed by the Professor Fatiu Abiola Arogundade-led Organ Transplantation Guidelines Panel under the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC), covers essential areas such as kidney, liver, eye tissue, hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow), gamete and embryo donation, storage, and surrogacy.