The advancement in medical sciences in recent times has brought succor to those
suffering from the failure of vital organs. Organ transplantation has become a rapidly
growing and imperative surgical specialty in the last four decades as transplantation
of solid organs has become the preferred treatment for end-stage renal, hepatic,
cardiac, and pulmonary disease. Although organ transplantation has been widely
accepted in contemporary times all over the world as a safe medical procedure, it is
fraught with some challenges in Nigeria, ranging from a lack of suitable structures
and frameworks for snowballing the supply of needed organs to legal liability issues
arising from the ruin or negligent misdirection of donated organs, commercialization
of organs, organ trafficking as well as ethical, social and religious beliefs.
This paper examines the prevailing legal framework governing the practice of organ
donation and transplantation in Nigeria highlighting the strength and weaknesses of
the legislation. The work also gives a general overview of the concept of organ
donation and transplantation and makes some recommendations.