UNDERSTANDING THE MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS OF ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION IN NIGERIA

It is the position of this paper that Organ donation and transplantation in Nigeria has legal implications which are as yet not fully considered nor properly understood. This Paper begins by examining generally the Medical aspects of organ donation and transplantation, highlighting the history, procedure and its necessity as a form of medical treatment. The paper then appraises the abiding legal regime, highlighting certain lapses in the law, and postulating that the law aught to be scrutinized from time to time, so as to consistently preserve the integrity of the process, prevent incidences of abuse and commercialization, and to minimize criminal activities that are bound to become an attraction. The Paper concludes by identifying the need for Nigeria as a country, to dedicate more attention to the law in this area, particularly leveraging on similar laws in other jurisdictions, to better fine-tune the process and achieve better medico- legal results.