In recent years, kidney failure has become a thing of concern in Nigeria, and the Nigerian entertainment scene has not been short of celebrities who have battled different terminal diseases.
Music lovers were left shocked after news broke out on Wednesday morning that one of Nigeria’s foremost rap icons, Eedris Abdulkareem, has been diagnosed with renal disease and needs a kidney transplant.
The 48-year-old outspoken rapper will be one of the many celebrities that have battled kidney failure and hopefully join the list of survivors.
Here are the lists of Nigerian celebrities that have at one point been diagnosed with kidney disease.
Christened Babatunde Okungbowa, popularly known by his stage name OJB Jezreel or OJB, was a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer.
The 49-year-old father of 7 had a successful transplant in India but succumbed to death in 2016, 3 years after the transplant.
A family source revealed that his kidney had completely failed a week before, and he was on dialysis to overcome the relapse before he gave up the ghost.
Dejo Adetokunbo was a Yoruba actor notable for his special character of being an imbecile in movies.
The 49-year-old actor’s death was announced by a colleague on Instagram on 1st April 2022.
The prominent actor was said to have been diagnosed with Kidney failure but died at the General Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos State, after complaining of a headache.
Nollywood Actor, Leonard Chimezie Onyemachi, popularly known as Leo Mezie, died 4 years after having a kidney transplant.
The 46-year-old actor died on 14 May 2022 after another transplant a week before his death, which caused complications thereafter.
Emmanuel Chinenye Ugolee is a Nigerian media personality, TV producer, Voice artist and author.
On 26 November 2020, the 46-year-old recounted what he went through during his illness and how he survived.
He revealed that his two kidneys failed over 10 years ago and had a failed transplant.
He survived after visits to 10 hospitals in four different countries, 22 different surgeries and 1,296.00 sessions of dialysis.
The “Fuji House of Commotion” star is another one of the few celebrities that survived kidney disease.
58-year-old Ngozi Nwosu is a veteran Nigerian actress who was diagnosed with Kidney and Heart disease in 2012.
The fair actress was flown to the Uk and India in 2013 for different surgeries and a successful transplant after donations by fans, colleagues and the then Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
The veteran Nollywood actor, until his death, battled Diabetes, Blindness, High Blood Pressure and kidney-related disease for about two years.
The actor died on 8 March 2017 while on his way to carry out his routine dialysis in a private hospital in FESTAC, Lagos.
The 55-year-old was due to travel to India for a Kidney transplant the following weekend before he met his untimely death.
Nollywood veteran actor Prince Samuel Adesina Adesanya stage named Pastor Ajidara died of kidney-related disease after a protracted illness.
He was the chairman of the Theater Arts and Motion Picture Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Ogun Chapter.
The 64-year-old actor was said to have succumbed to death on 6 May 2017 during a dialysis session.
The actor, known for playing controversial romantic roles in movies, died of kidney failure in January 2015.
The 36-year-old was said to have collapsed and rushed to an unnamed hospital in FESTAC town Lagos but did not make it out alive.
Kidney disease is becoming rampant in Nigeria, and the leading causes have been reported to be – high blood pressure, diabetes and glomerulonephritis (kidney inflammation from a variety of causes).
The best way to prevent this deadly disease is to live a healthy life, take enough rest, and have a frequent medical check-ups.