Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has spoken about the financial burden of living with kidney failure, saying even a monthly income of N1 million may not be enough to sustain regular dialysis treatment.

Omori made the disclosure during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast published on YouTube on Wednesday, where he recounted his experience with kidney failure, dialysis and his efforts to undergo a kidney transplant.

The director said dialysis costs vary between hospitals, with some facilities charging between N50,000 and N70,000 per session, while he paid between N150,000 and N200,000 at a private facility.

He said patients may require as many as three dialysis sessions a week, putting the weekly cost at about N500,000 to N600,000 in his case.

Reflecting on the financial pressure, Omori said the cost could quickly become overwhelming for patients without substantial financial resources.

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

Omori said he waited about a year for a transplant and estimated that the treatment and transplant process cost about N31 million, excluding other possible expenses such as medication, tests and complications.

He also recounted his experience with his brother, who donated a kidney to him after the family spent about nine months searching for a suitable donor. According to Omori, however, doctors subsequently found that his body was not accepting the donated kidney.

“My brother gave me his kidney after it took us nine months to find a donor. The doctor said my body wasn’t accepting it, that it didn’t match,” he said.

The music video director had previously disclosed in August 2024 that he had undergone a failed kidney transplant and appealed to the public for prayers as he continued his recovery.

Omori had also publicly raised concerns about the cost of dialysis in Nigeria in 2025, amid a debate over the Federal Government’s proposed subsidy for kidney dialysis.

The Guardian reported in August 2025 that although the Federal Government had approved an 80 per cent subsidy aimed at reducing dialysis costs at selected public hospitals, implementation had faced challenges, with patients in some facilities still paying substantially higher amounts.

At the time, Omori wrote on X that dialysis could cost more than N100,000 per session and that some patients require three sessions a week. He said the situation was distressing for people on low incomes.

In his latest account, Omori described the experience as one that changed his understanding of money and healthcare.

“Even though money can’t buy happiness, money can still buy some time,” he said.

His comments have renewed attention on the financial challenges faced by Nigerians living with kidney disease, particularly those who