18/08/2026
Yesterday I saw pictures of the many people with kidney issues who turned out after the call made by Okwuluora. The turnout was massive. There has not been enough focused research on the state with one of the highest rates of kidney failure; I am convinced that if proper studies were done, Enugu would rank very high.
The truth is that something Enugu residents love most may be contributing to the damage to their kidneys and has sent many to an early grave. What is that? Okpa from Enugu State. Yes, you heard me right.
I have personally experienced kidney problems before and undergone several sessions of dialysis. Since then I have been careful about what I consume. I love Enugu Okpa very much — it tastes better than the ones I buy in Anambra. Any careful lover of Okpa knows that the one sold at Oji River is not as tasty or colourful as the one sold inside Enugu city. Have we ever asked why the Okpa sold inside Enugu tastes so sweet and looks so brightly coloured?
Through careful observation I noticed that whenever I ate Okpa from Enugu city, my urine turned reddish. Later I observed the same reddish colour in my son’s urine and stool whenever we ate Okpa for breakfast. I told my wife, but she dismissed it because, like me, she loves Okpa so much. I also shared the concern with my cousin, Obumneme Osigwe, and advised him to be careful with Enugu Okpa, since someone in Enugu regularly buys large quantities and sends them to him in Lagos.
As God would have it, around the same period my wife went to Ogbete Market to buy red oil. At the oil dealer’s depot they asked her whether she wanted the normal oil or the one specially for Okpa production. She said she wanted the normal oil, then asked why the Okpa oil was different. She was told it has colouring and sweetener added to make the Okpa more delicious and attractive. That information disturbed her. She left the market and immediately called me to say I was right — what we had been consuming contained chemicals. She narrated what she had just discovered and declared that there would be no more bought Okpa for our family in Enugu. If we still want it, she will prepare it herself at home.
Think for a moment about the chemical substances contained in that colouring and sweetener used to produce Okpa. In Nigeria, many finished products we buy outside our homes may be quietly harming our kidneys and other organs, leading some people to untimely death. Examples include zobo, tiger-nut drinks, and various fruit juices produced and sold by unlicensed people in the markets; many of these also contain the same colourings and sweeteners that make them taste and look appealing. If you must drink any of these, it is safer to buy the fruits and ingredients yourself and prepare them at home.
Nigerians are sometimes harming fellow Nigerians in the quest for profit. Many of the fruits we buy in the markets have also been treated with chemicals to force them to ripen and look more attractive. The majority of the brightly coloured bananas, oranges and pineapples you see have often been artificially ripened.
It is better to eat less of the things we cannot fully vouch for and live healthier lives than to consume whatever is presented to us and risk dying early. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Please share this widely.
