When Temitope Afolabi realised that her husband could be imprisoned due to a N48 million debt he incurred from a bad business deal, she resolved to become a surrogate mother to earn money to save him. She had initially considered selling one of her kidneys, but unable to find a source, she settled for being a surrogate.
Surrogacy is a form of assisted reproduction in which a woman (the surrogate) carries a pregnancy on behalf of a third party – the intended parent. Typically, the surrogate is compensated for her services in a commercial arrangement.
The global surrogacy industry is valued at $27.9 billion. And the United Nations regards the practice as a form of violence against women and girls. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, surrogacy is becoming increasingly common. Celebrities such as Nancy Umeh, Ini Edo, and Chimamanda Adichie have utilized surrogate services. Lifestyle influencer, Ife Agoro also plans to use one, regardless of health challenges.
But what is the experience of surrogates in Africa’s most populous country and how did it become common? Temitope’s journey from pregnancy to postpartum as seen through a Facebook Messenger conversation unveiled her experience. She became a surrogate in May 2024; and was paid N2,233,000, including transportation, accommodation allowance, childbirth fee and wardrobe allowance.
But her compensation did not reflect Nigeria’s economic realities. Her N3,000 transportation allowance was insufficient to cover her logistics. She lives at Sango Ota, along Oju Ore in Ogun State and was to travel 41.9 kilometres to her health care centre in Ikorodu.
Although her transport fare was later increased to N5,000 after several complaints, the catch was that she would visit a clinic in Ikeja, Lagos State. Amidst tears, Temitope swore that she always added an extra N1,000 from her funds to cover the lapse in logistics costs while enduring the stress of commuting farther. She also barely had enough money to eat after she paid her rent and her children’s school fees.
Read more: https://dailytrust.com/how-misinformation-throws-nigerian-women-into-surrogacy-ditch/
