Check every corner in Nigeria, and there is always a woman nearby selling sachet alcohol. At this point, one can say it is a normal that is not so normal. Unknown to many, these drinks are slowly killing them. According to a 2022 Guardian report, at least 20 million Nigerians were estimated to be living with undiagnosed kidney disease.

This report does not come as a surprise. At a motor park, before the danfo driver eats his first meal, he takes a sachet or two of alcohol soaked in herbs. The same goes for his conductor. The labourer can also be seen drinking a bottle of Lacoco to “gain extra energy”. Young people are not left out either. With a trendy lifestyle defined by alcohol consumption of the pricier variety, many people are being served hooch as quality brands even among upscale lounges.

Kidney disease does not shout, but it can be prevented

Kidney disease is often silent in its early stages. Many Nigerians do not know they have it until it is severe. Yet, prevention is possible. Regular check-up, as frequently as every six months, drinking clean water, reducing salt and alcohol intake, avoiding processed foods, regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight are simple but effective ways to stay healthy.

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Common symptoms like frequent urination can be detected during medical check-ups. Although early kidney disease shows few or no symptoms, it is largely preventable. The key is awareness and consistent lifestyle choices before it is too late.

 Glorified harmful habits are breaking down Nigerians

Harmful habits are becoming normalised, and they are getting worse. It is no longer strange to be hit by strong breaths of Captain Jack in a bus on Monday morning. An increasing number of Nigerians are street mixologists, believing their cocktails sharpen their senses or give them extra stamina during sex.

Popular Nigerian doctor influencer, Aproko Doctor, once warned that many “agbo” brews now contain toxic substances that damage the kidneys. He faced backlash from regular drinkers who insisted that “it did not harm their forefathers”.

But times have changed, ingredients, production methods, and environmental exposure are all different now. Indeed, the alcohol base of many of the servings is ethyl, unfit for human consumption. Industrial alcohol has been fingered as the cause of death of consumers of moonshine or monkey drink in many countries.

It is even worse in rural and underdeveloped areas where awareness about the severity of kidney disease is low. More cases have also been reported in the Northeast, where access to healthcare remains limited.

 Young people are also falling prey

Young Nigerians are finding it difficult to perform the bare minimum tasks without some form of “energy booster”. Teenagers are catching up too, consuming cheap and fake alcoholic drinks sold at every corner, including nightclubs.

TG Omori, a popular videographer, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that fake drinks consumed at nightclubs left him bedridden with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) for most of the year. Nigerians offered prayers but carried on with the same lifestyle.

Another viral post showed young adults defending these acts. Despite rising awareness, people are not ready to quit alcohol consumption or be more vigilant in the type they consume. For some, avoiding lifestyles that could lead to kidney disease means losing social relevance. The slang, something must kill a man, has become a fragile justification for self-destruction.

Recent data show that more than 80 percent of ESRD patients in Nigeria are young and middle-aged, unlike in many other countries where the disease mostly affects older adults.

 Medical experts are concerned

Doctors are increasingly worried about the growing number of cases. Local health centres are under-equipped, and many of the common causes of kidney disease are not being addressed. Although Nigerians are constantly urged to live healthier, the message often goes unheard.

There is also little to no awareness about the dangers kidney disease poses. Many living with stage one kidney disease have no idea they are affected until it becomes irreversible. Kidney disease may not shout, but its impact is loud. It takes lives quietly, and it is one of the most preventable health crises facing Nigerians today.

Meiza Nigeria