A few weeks ago, Nigerian media personality and Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) owner, Ifedayo Agoro, broke the internet with her stance on surrogacy.

The 42-year-old newly married woman took to her Instagram page to share that despite being perfectly healthy, she preferred not to use her womb for pregnancy and plans to have kids with the help of surrogates.

Ifedayo stated that many people are offended by the idea of a healthy woman having the audacity to choose not to go through the pain of pregnancy, childbirth and labour to avoid altering their body Physique.

Part of her statement reads, “I have a womb and no fertility issues, but I’m choosing surrogacy.”

Ife’s bold statement sparked debate on social media, with some questioning why she would choose surrogacy when she is physically able to carry a pregnancy herself. Others support her right to choose, emphasising that surrogacy can be a valid option even for women without medical complications.

What Is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman (the surrogate) carries a pregnancy and gives birth to a child for another person or couple (the intended parents), and the surrogate is paid for the service rendered. There are two main types of surrogacy:

1. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is also the egg donor, making her genetically related to the child.

2. Gestational surrogacy involves using the intended mother’s or a donor’s egg, making the surrogate
genetically unrelated to the child.

Reasons for surrogacy

Surrogacy may be considered if:

1. The intended parent (woman) is unable to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy because she has had a hysterectomy or is missing part of her uterus, ovaries or other parts of the genital tract.

2. A health condition that makes pregnancy dangerous.

3. A single man wishes to have a child using his sperm.

4. A woman who has frozen embryos in storage dies, and her male partner wishes to use the embryos to have a child.

Considering the above reason for surrogacy, some Nigerians, while supporting Ife’s decision to have children via surrogacy, argued that women should have the autonomy to choose the way they become parents, regardless of their fertility status. They point out that surrogacy can be a safer option for some women due to potential risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, or simply because they do not want to experience pregnancy.

However, others feel that surrogacy should be reserved for women who have medical reasons preventing them from carrying a pregnancy. Also, there are concerns about the commercialisation of surrogacy and the potential exploitation of surrogates.

Woli Arole’s Stance On Surrogacy

Days after Ife’s take on surrogacy created a buzz online, Nigerian comedian cum actor, Woli Arole, also waded into the discussion.

In a post via his Instagram page, Woli Arole condemned Ifedayo’s reason for opting for surrogacy. According to him, surrogacy is only adopted for medical reasons, and it is wrong to say she would opt for it because she does not feel like carrying the child.

Arole stated that it is a blessing for a woman to carry her child inside her womb because it is how God wants it, adding that ‘wokeness’ should not derail people.

Surrogacy Has No Legal Backing In Nigeria

In an interview with OsunDaily, a medical doctor specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G), at the Ifako General Hospital, Lagos State, asserted that surrogacy has no legal backing in Nigeria and is done haphazardly.

He said, “There is no legal backing in Nigeria. However, people find a way around it. For people who have challenges conceiving, especially elderly people, who have used assisted reproductive techniques and it has failed, they look for somebody who is willing, especially a young girl. They will take the person to the hospital, screen the person, and the person does not have any infection or any abnormality. So, the person will get a lawyer. They will get a lawyer, and they will have an agreement. You understand? They will take the wife’s egg, the husband’s sperm, and they will now add them together in IVF.

“So, the outsourced person will be the carrier of that child. And during that process, they usually have a legal agreement which has nothing to do with us in the hospital. They are usually responsible for the upkeep. They will make an agreement. This is the amount I want to pay you for this egg. And they will be responsible for the upkeep of that person on a monthly basis. Money for food, that she is comfortable, they will take care. Drugs, if she has any conditions. And they usually deliver through surgery. And whatever complication happens, they take care of it. At delivery, the woman does not see the baby or breastfeed the baby. They give the baby straight to the expectant couple, and everybody goes their way.”

Speaking on the trend of women without any underlying health conditions opting for surrogacy, the doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity added, “Well, you know, I can’t speak for them. Some people are busy with their jobs at the workplace. And some people are modern like Kimi Kardashian. They don’t want pregnancy to disfigure their shape. And they can do surrogacy. But in Nigeria, it’s only for people with reproductive challenges. And they are usually elderly women. However, some people are using it as an exploitation. We just treated a case where ₦3 million was paid to the surrogate mother, but the egg produced triplets. Is that not exploitation? The truth is that there is no legal backing for it in Nigeria.”

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