The Nigerian Medical Association has appointed the Chief Medical Director of the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, as Chairman of its National Committee on Organ Transplantation Regulation.

The appointment, which covers the 2026–2028 period, was conveyed in a letter dated September 21, 2026, and signed by the NMA Secretary-General, Dr Tamunokuro Diamond, on behalf of the association’s President, Prof Afekhide Omoti.

According to the letter, the committee will develop recommendations for a comprehensive regulatory framework for organ transplantation in Nigeria.

It will also review existing laws, regulations, guidelines and ethical standards governing organ donation, procurement, allocation and transplantation.

The letter read in part, “I have the pleasure of the NMA President, Dr (Prof.) Afekhide Ernest Omoti, to inform you of your appointment as the Chairman, Committee on Organ Transplantation Regulation of the NMA, for the period of 2026 to 2028.”

The committee was mandated to recommend standards for the accreditation, licensing and monitoring of transplant centres and related facilities across the country.

It will also develop guidelines for the ethical, transparent and equitable allocation of organs and propose measures to prevent organ trafficking, commercialisation, exploitation and other unethical practices. Other responsibilities include recommending standards for donor evaluation, informed consent, confidentiality and the protection of organ donors and recipients. The panel will promote living and deceased organ donation through public awareness and culturally appropriate education while proposing measures to improve organ and tissue procurement, preservation, transportation, traceability and transplantation. It will also examine the financing of transplantation, insurance coverage, affordability of procedures and access to post-transplant care. The committee is expected to recommend training and certification standards for medical professionals involved in transplant medicine and propose systems for national data collection, transplant registries, outcome monitoring and quality assurance. Reacting to the appointment, the Abia State Government described Okwuonu’s selection as recognition of his professional expertise and a source of pride to the state. In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, on September 22, 2026, the government expressed confidence that Okwuonu would deploy his experience towards improving organ transplantation practices in Nigeria. “The Abia State Government described the appointment as a recognition of Dr Okwuonu’s professional expertise and a source of pride to the state, expressing confidence that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the development of safe, ethical and effective organ transplantation practices in Nigeria,” the statement read. The government congratulated the physician and wished him “a successful and impactful tenure.” The committee will collaborate with government agencies, regulatory bodies, medical professionals, transplant centres and other stakeholders and advise the NMA on emerging legal, ethical, technological and clinical issues in organ transplantation. It is expected to submit periodic reports and actionable recommendations to the NMA President and the association’s National Officers Committee or National Executive Council. Okwuonu is a consultant physician and nephrologist whose clinical and research interests include chronic kidney disease, hypertension, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis and kidney transplantation. He has contributed to studies on kidney transplantation in resource-constrained settings, transplant outcomes and the management of patients considered immunologically at high risk. In July 2025, he was elected to the board of the International Society for Apheresis during its international meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, becoming the first African-based physician reported to have attained the position. Okwuonu is also a former chairman of the NMA in Abia State and has served as secretary of the kidney transplant committee at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.