By Peace Orjiani
Available evidence largely supports the claim that Nigeria has fewer than 200 dialysis centres, although the exact number varies depending on whether sources count all facilities or only functional centres.
A medical review published through the National Library of Medicine reported that the number of dialysis centres in Nigeria increased from 27 in 2006 to 186 in 2021.
More recent reports have placed the number at slightly above 200. A 2026 report by Orodata Science, for instance, cited approximately 200 dialysis centres and about 800 functional dialysis machines nationwide.
While there is clear evidence of a serious shortage of dialysis centres, the claim that Nigeria needs about 1,000 centres should be treated as a projection or policy assessment rather than an officially established national requirement. Available evidence does not confirm 1,000 centres as an official national target.
Verdict: Correct.
The claim that Nigeria has fewer than 200 dialysis centres is supported by available evidence.
Claim 3: “We need about 5,000 machines when we have less than 800.”
Available evidence also supports the broader claim that Nigeria faces a major shortage of dialysis machines.
A 2026 report citing nephrology experts estimated that Nigeria had about 800 functional dialysis machines, compared with an estimated requirement of 5,000 machines nationwide.
However, earlier estimates have been considerably lower. In 2025, Professor Jacob Awobusuyi, President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology, was quoted as saying that only 354 dialysis machines were operational across federal, state and private hospitals as of September 2024.
The variation between these figures may be explained by differences in the dates of the reports and whether sources are counting all machines, functional machines or machines located within particular categories of health facilities.
The more recent estimate 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 machines has also been publicly reported.
Verdict: Correct.
Available evidence supports the claim that Nigeria has a significant shortage of dialysis machines.
Claim 4: “It costs you exactly ₦10 million to buy one machine.”
Publicly available market information indicates that a dialysis machine can cost around ₦10 million, although the actual price varies depending on the brand, model, configuration, condition and whether the equipment is new or refurbished.
Current market information in Nigeria places the price of some new dialysis systems at approximately ₦8 million to more than ₦15 million, while refurbished machines can be significantly cheaper.
Therefore, Obi’s ₦10 million figure falls within the publicly reported price range for dialysis equipment.
However, describing ₦10 million as the exact cost of a dialysis machine is too categorical. The total cost of acquiring and operating the equipment may also include installation, staff training, maintenance, power supply and backup systems.
Verdict: Supported, but “exactly” is too categorical.
The ₦10 million figure is plausible as an approximate equipment cost, but it should not be presented as the fixed price of every dialysis machine.
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 fundif proceeds from the removal of the petrol subsidy had been saved could not be established from a verifiable source supporting that specific figure.
The statement is essentially a counterfactual projection — an estimate of what might have happened if the government had taken a different course.
Obi did not provide a publicly verifiable calculation, official document or independent economic analysis demonstrating how the $10 billion figure was derived.
As a result, while the debate over how subsidy savings should have been used is legitimate, the specific claim that an additional $10 billion would have been added to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund remains unsubstantiated.
