TG Omori: I Was Fighting for My Life While People Said I Had Fallen Off

Nigerian music-video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has opened up about the difficult period he spent battling kidney failure, revealing that some people were speculating about the decline of his career while he was fighting to stay alive.

Omori made the revelation during an appearance on the Afropolitan Podcast, where he recounted the severity of his illness, his prolonged hospitalisation and the failed kidney transplant involving his younger brother.

According to the celebrated director, his absence from the music-video scene led some people to conclude that he had lost relevance.

“I was in the hospital, and people were already texting that I fell off; nobody works with me anymore. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive. In fact, I had said my last prayer,” Omori said.

He described the situation as a reflection of the harsh nature of the entertainment industry.

“That’s how cruel the game is,” he said.

Omori said he spent about six months receiving treatment at a hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos, while only a small circle of friends and industry colleagues knew the seriousness of his condition.

Among those he identified as people who visited or checked on him were Asake, Rema, Fireboy DML, Young Jonn, Zlatan and Victoria.

The director also reflected on his celebrated creative relationship with Asake, describing their collaboration as a period when their music and visuals appeared closely connected.

Omori's comments have also revived discussion around his temporary absence from the music-video industry and speculation about changes in his professional relationships with some artistes.

However, his latest account indicates that his reduced visibility was largely connected to his health crisis rather than an inability to secure work.

Omori revealed that finding a suitable kidney donor took about nine months before his younger brother eventually volunteered to donate one.

The transplant was performed in Lagos in August 2024, but after a lengthy operation, doctors discovered that the transplanted kidney was not functioning properly and his body was not accepting it.

He subsequently returned to dialysis while waiting to recover and undergo another transplant procedure.

The experience, he said, was particularly traumatic because his brother was left with only one kidney despite the unsuccessful transplant.

Omori also spoke about the enormous financial demands associated with kidney failure treatment.

He said dialysis could cost between ₦50,000 and ₦70,000 per session at some hospitals, while treatment at a private facility could be significantly more expensive. He estimated that patients requiring several sessions weekly could spend hundreds of thousands of naira every week.

He further said the transplant process cost about ₦31 million, illustrating the financial pressure faced by patients dealing with prolonged kidney disease.

The director's latest disclosure provides a deeper account of the health crisis that kept him away from the entertainment scene and comes after he publicly revealed his kidney failure battle in 2024.

Despite the ordeal, Omori said the experience has changed his outlook on life and creativity, with the director now approaching his work with a greater appreciation for life and the opportunity to create.