“EVEN ₦1 MILLION MONTHLY SALARY CAN’T SAVE YOU” TG OMORI REVEALS BRUTAL COST OF KIDNEY FAILURE

Nigerian music video director Thank God Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has offered a stark account of the financial reality of kidney failure treatment in Nigeria, saying even a monthly income of ₦1 million may be insufficient to sustain the cost of regular dialysis.

Omori spoke during an extensive interview on the Afropolitan podcast published on Wednesday, September 23, where he reflected on the illness that kept him away from work for months, his unsuccessful kidney transplant and the enormous medical expenses associated with staying alive.

The award winning director said dialysis at some hospitals could cost between ₦50,000 and ₦70,000 per session, while treatment at the private facility he used cost considerably more, sometimes between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000 per session.

For a patient requiring as many as three sessions each week, Omori said the cost could rise to between ₦500,000 and ₦600,000 weekly.

That calculation, he said, demonstrates how quickly kidney failure can become financially devastating even for Nigerians earning substantially above the country's minimum wage.

Omori estimated that maintaining dialysis for about a year while waiting for a transplant could cost approximately ₦31 million under the treatment pattern he experienced.

That estimate does not include every additional expense that can accompany prolonged kidney treatment, including medication, diagnostic tests, hospital admissions and complications.

Reflecting on the scale of the expenses, Omori said an income that would ordinarily be considered substantial in Nigeria could still prove inadequate.

"So automatically, if your salary is even one million naira a month, it can't serve you," he said.

His remarks provide a rare personal account of the financial pressure associated with long term kidney treatment in Nigeria, where access to specialist healthcare can require substantial out of pocket spending.

Omori also revisited one of the most difficult episodes of his illness, the failed kidney transplant involving a kidney donated by his brother.

The director publicly revealed in August 2024 that his brother had donated one of his kidneys in an attempt to save his life.

The procedure, however, was unsuccessful.

Speaking on the podcast, Omori said doctors discovered after the surgery that the transplanted kidney was not functioning as expected in his body.

His brother was left living with one kidney despite the transplant failing to provide the outcome the family had hoped for.

Omori previously disclosed in 2024 that he had undergone multiple procedures during the transplant attempt and later told supporters that he was recovering from the surgical wounds while preparing to continue treatment.

The health crisis removed him from the public eye during a period when he had become one of the most recognizable creative figures behind Nigeria's booming music industry.

During his absence, Omori said speculation circulated online about why he was no longer directing music videos at the pace for which he had become known.

Behind the scenes, however, he was undergoing treatment and fighting kidney failure.

The experience, he said, fundamentally changed his understanding of money.

"Even though money can't buy happiness, money can still buy some time," Omori said while discussing the resources required to remain on treatment.

His comments have also drawn renewed attention to the wider affordability of dialysis and specialist kidney care in Nigeria.

The costs cited by Omori reflect his personal treatment experience and should not be interpreted as a uniform national price for dialysis. Charges vary considerably depending on the hospital, location, treatment requirements and other medical circumstances.

For Omori, however, the numbers illustrate a larger problem.

If someone earning ₦1 million monthly could struggle to meet the treatment costs he experienced, patients surviving on significantly lower incomes could face even more difficult choices in accessing sustained care.

Omori's career has placed him behind some of the defining visuals of contemporary Afrobeats.

He has directed music videos for artists including Asake, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Olamide, Fireboy DML, Naira Marley and several other prominent Nigerian performers.

His latest account shifts attention away from the success surrounding that career and towards the private battle that unfolded while he was largely absent from the industry.

More than two years after publicly revealing his kidney crisis, Omori's story has become not only one of survival but also a warning about how quickly a serious medical condition can overwhelm even people with substantial financial resources.

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