In order to cope with the challenging economic conditions, Nigerian youths have turned to the practice of selling their male and female reproductive cells (sperms and eggs) through an advanced medical procedure known as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). IVF is a technique employed by certain medical facilities to aid couples struggling with infertility in conceiving children.

According to an investigation by The Guardian, a significant portion of these reproductive cell donors consists of students from higher institutions, and they typically receive compensation ranging from N100,000 to N250,000 per donation. Among the few hospitals offering such procedures, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) in Kwara State stands out, with two other notable facilities located at Tanke Area, near Judges Quarters, and Adewole Estate.

However, a medical professional from one of these facilities clarified that not all cases necessitate third-party donations to enhance the fertility of patients. Dismissing the rumor of such donations, a clinician from UITH, speaking anonymously, simply described the process as the fusion of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm in a laboratory dish.

“In vitro means outside the body. Fertilisation means the sperm has attached to and entered the egg,” he explained

Expressing concern over elevated infertility rates both within and beyond Nigeria, Prof. Lukman Omokanye, the Technical Partner affiliated with MEDCLEV Multi Specialists Hospital in Tanke Ilorin, voiced his dismay.

“But not all these cases would require IVF to resolve. So, I don’t know anything about donors of sperms or eggs. But we can assure such patients suffering infertility that, medically, there is hope for them,” he added.

Several students, interviewed by The Guardian in Ilorin, shared that the trend has enhanced their financial standing. They explained that individuals within their age group are highly sought after for donations due to perceived advantages in age and a greater likelihood of fertility compared to older individuals. A male student from one of the local higher institutions, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated: “They have our phone numbers and there is a contact person, who will call us each time there is a need.

“We are not paid through the same method that other friends of the hospital are paid. This is so that the representative of the payer would not know what a particular payee is being remunerated for. The entire thing is shrouded in secrecy. They have a way of stimulating us to harvest the sperm.”

It is not, however, certain whether or not there could be a repercussion of “too much donation” for such commercial donors in future.