By Adeola Ogunlade
Renowned fertility specialist and Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, has called for an agency that will monitor, regulate, and enforce quality compliance in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) practice in Nigeria.
Ajayi said recently at a press conference on Navigating the Surrogacy Process organised by Nordica Fertility Centre, said that there is a need for an inclusive policy and agency that will help in regulating surrogacy and other forms of ART methods, to curb possible abuse or exploitation of these procedures.
He said that while surrogacy brings immense joy to many families, it also raises ethical questions. Issues such as the exploitation of surrogates, informed consent, and the rights of all parties involved need careful consideration. It’s crucial that policies and regulations are in place to protect everyone involved in the surrogacy process.
Ajayi noted that although surrogacy is not expressly prohibited in Nigeria, it also is not legally acknowledged, as there is currently no legal framework regulating surrogacy in Nigeria.
He opined that, unlike many other countries, Nigeria lags behind in surrogacy agreement regulation, which is disappointing considering the increasing number of surrogacy agreements entered into on a daily basis in the country”.
Ajayi lamented that the baby factory is a very active industry in Nigeria. Infertility is a very trying experience for couples and some couples can be very desperate and just want to end up with a baby, adding that government on the other hand is not making adoption easy,
He stressed that turning babies into commodities is condemnable in all its entirety. Some couples will fall for it when they don’t know the difference between surrogacy and a baby factory.
He asserted that if surrogacy and other ART are not regulated, we will see all kinds of things that we do not envisage will happen. A lot of surrogacy agencies are coming and are not registered. We need regulation so it does not get out of hand.
He stressed that surrogacy, a method of assisted reproduction, is increasingly becoming a popular choice for couples who are unable to conceive naturally. It involves a surrogate mother who carries and delivers a child for another person or couple, known as the intended parents.
“This process allows individuals and couples to fulfill their dreams of parenthood, despite medical and biological challenges. The surrogacy journey begins with the intended parents choosing a surrogate. This can be someone they know or a surrogate found through a professional agency”.
“The surrogate undergoes medical screening and legal contracts are drawn up to protect the rights of all parties involved. The next step is the embryo transfer. This involves in-vitro fertilisation, known as IVF, where eggs from the intended mother or an egg donor are fertilised with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor”.
“The resulting embryo is then transferred into the surrogate’s uterus. The surrogate carries the pregnancy to term and gives birth, after which the child is handed over to the intended parents. Throughout this journey, the surrogate and intended parents often form a unique bond, built on mutual respect and gratitude”, he said.
He implored couples who intend to go through the process to engage a qualified gynecologist and a lawyer who is versatile in this area of practice for proper guardian, stressing that engaging fake and inexperienced professionals will leave the patient worse.