Tinubu’s dialysis subsidy brings relief, boosts patient turnout at AKTH

For years, the dialysis unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, in Kano echoed with the quiet despair of kidney patients struggling to afford lifesaving treatment. Each session cost between ₦50,000 and ₦60,000 — a financial burden that forced many to abandon care, often with fatal consequences.

Today, however, there is a renewed sense of hope. Thanks to a bold Federal Government initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the cost of dialysis has been slashed by up to 80 per cent, from ₦50,000 to just ₦12,000 per session. The subsidy — part of a national kidney care intervention covering 11 federal tertiary hospitals — is already transforming patient turnout and saving lives at AKTH.

A Lifeline for the Needy

“Before now, many of our patients couldn’t afford to come regularly,” said Mr. Tijjani Rahim, Deputy Director of Nursing Services and Head of the Dialysis Unit at AKTH. “But since the subsidy was introduced, we now attend to between 22 and 25 patients daily. The difference is remarkable.”

Rahim explained that the intervention had made AKTH one of the first hospitals to feel the direct impact of the subsidy. With the Federal Government providing essential consumables for 1,000 dialysis sessions, patients who had once given up on treatment are returning with renewed optimism.

Patients Share Their Stories

For Malam Sani Musa, a longtime kidney patient, the subsidy represents nothing short of a miracle. “I used to pay between ₦54,000 and ₦60,000 for each session,” he said, his voice tinged with relief. “Then it came down to ₦20,000, and now ₦12,000. This has given me a second chance at life.”

Another patient, Mamuda Aliyu, said the reduction had helped him continue his treatment without interruption. “At ₦60,000 per session, I was close to stopping. But ₦12,000 is manageable. I pray the government keeps this going.”

Similarly, Hafiza Isa recalled her struggle to sustain treatment as costs fluctuated between ₦60,000 and ₦45,000 per session before the current rate. “Now, I can plan better. This intervention has lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders,” she said.

While expressing deep gratitude to the government, many patients appealed for the programme to be expanded and possibly made free for those in extreme poverty.

Renewed Hope in Action

The Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdurrahman Sheshe, confirmed that the hospital had already begun implementing the subsidised dialysis programme. Speaking during the launch of the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Scheme, NEMSAS, at the hospital, he described the initiative as a critical step toward affordable healthcare delivery.

According to him, the dialysis subsidy complements other federal health interventions such as the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, and NEMSAS, which together aim to strengthen emergency response, provide free care for vulnerable groups, and reduce the financial strain on Nigerian families.

“The NEMSAS programme will provide 48 hours of free medical care and emergency transportation for pregnant women, children, accident victims, and other critical cases,” Sheshe explained. “But for sustainability, we need continuous support from the Federal Ministry of Health and well-meaning Nigerians.”

A National Effort

AKTH is one of 11 federal tertiary hospitals selected for the dialysis subsidy scheme. Others include the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) in Abuja, Owerri, Ebute-Metta, Abeokuta, and Azare; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH); University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH); University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH); and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.

The nationwide programme, approved by the Federal Government in August 2025, seeks to cushion the economic burden of chronic kidney disease and improve access to dialysis care across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Restoring Dignity, One Session at a Time

For the patients thronging the dialysis unit in Kano, the subsidy has done more than reduce hospital bills — it has restored their dignity and hope. As dialysis machines hum softly and nurses move briskly between beds, the atmosphere feels lighter than it has in years.

“This is the first time in a long while that I’ve seen patients smiling here,” Rahim said, looking around the crowded unit. “For them, ₦12,000 means survival.”

Indeed, as the Renewed Hope Agenda gathers momentum, Nigeria’s health sector appears to be inching closer to a system where affordability no longer stands between citizens and the care they need to live.