Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, made several claims about the country’s healthcare system and the possible use of savings from petrol subsidy removal during a conference organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently.
Obi argued that the removal of petrol subsidy should not be reversed because of alleged mismanagement of the proceeds. He said part of the savings could have been invested in healthcare, particularly kidney-care infrastructure.
Daily Trust fact-checked some of the key claims.
Claim 1: “We have over 25 million Nigerians with kidney issues.”
Obi’s claim that more than 25 million Nigerians live with kidney-related disease is consistent with estimates from Nigerian nephrology experts and other publicly available sources.
A 2026 report by Orodata Science, citing International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas and Nigerian Association of Nephrology (March 2026), estimated that about 25 million Nigerians are living with chronic kidney disease, with about 45,000 deaths annually attributed to the condition.
However, the figure is an estimate rather than a precise national count. A 2025 inaugural lecture by Professor Oghenekaro Egbi noted that the exact incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Nigeria remain largely unknown because of limited community-based data. The lecture nevertheless said it is believed that up to 25 million Nigerians live with kidney disease.
Verdict: Correct, with qualification.
Claim 2: “We need about a thousand centres when we have less than 200.”
Obi said Nigeria has fewer than 200 kidney/dialysis centres but requires about 1,000.
Available evidence supports the claim that the number of dialysis centres is below 200 in the context in which Obi made the statement.
A medical review published through the National Library of Medicine, a journal of medicine, reported that the number of dialysis centres in Nigeria increased from 27 in 2006 to 186 in 2021.
More recent reporting has also put the number of dialysis centres at just over 200, depending on the definition and whether functional facilities are being counted. A 2026 report by Orodata Science, cited about 200 dialysis centres and approximately 800 functional machines.
The claim that Nigeria needs about 1,000 centres, however, is better regarded as a projection or policy assessment rather than an independently established national requirement. The available evidence confirms the severe shortage of centres but does not establish 1,000 as an official national target.
Verdict: Correct.
The “less than 200 centres” portion is supported by available evidence.
Claim 3: “We need about 5,000 machines when we have less than 800.”
Available evidence supports Obi’s description of a major shortage of dialysis machines.
A 2026 report citing nephrology experts put the number of functional dialysis machines in Nigeria at about 800, compared with an estimated 5,000 machines required nationwide.
There have been lower estimates in earlier reports. For example, the President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Professor Jacob Awobusuyi, said in 2025 was quoted as saying that only 354 dialysis machines were operational across federal, state and private hospitals as of September 2024.
The difference reflects the fact that the number of machines changes over time and depends on whether the source counts all machines, operational machines or machines in specific categories of facilities.
The more recent figure of about 800 functional machines is consistent with Obi’s statement that Nigeria has fewer than 800 machines, while the estimated requirement of 5,000 has also been publicly reported.
Verdict: Correct.
Claim 4: “It costs you exactly N10 million to buy one machine.”
Publicly available information indicates that a dialysis machine can cost around ₦10 million, although the actual price varies according to the type, brand, configuration, whether the equipment is new or refurbished, and what is included in the purchase.
For example, current market information for dialysis systems in Nigeria shows new systems in the range of approximately ₦8 million to more than ₦15 million, while refurbished units can cost considerably less.
This means Obi’s ₦10 million figure is within the publicly reported price range for dialysis equipment.
However, describing ₦10 million as the exact cost of every dialysis machine is not supported. Equipment acquisition may also involve installation, training, maintenance, power backup and other associated costs.
Verdict: Supported, but the word “exactly” is too categorical.
The ₦10 million figure is plausible and supported as an approximate equipment cost, but “exactly” overstates the precision of the figure.
Claim 5: “If they had saved the money, we would have had $10 billion added to our sovereign wealth fund.”
Verdict: Unsupported.
Obi’s claim that Nigeria would have accumulated an additional $10 billion in its sovereign wealth fund if proceeds from petrol subsidy removal had been saved is not supported by a verifiable source establishing that specific amount.
The statement is essentially a counterfactual projection or opinion about what government could have achieved with the subsidy savings. Obi did not provide a calculation, official document or independent economic analysis demonstrating how the $10 billion figure was derived.
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