By Sar Terver
In Nigerian University Campuses across Nigeria, a quiet but controversial trade is blossoming. Young ladies, mostly undergraduates grappling with rising costs of living and tuition, are turning to what seems like an unusual source of income, selling their eggs for cash and cover essential cost.
At face value, the process, medically referred to as oocyte donation (egg donation), is legal under certain circumstances either for tuition and living expenses.
It is a component of assisted reproduction where women’s immature eggs are retrieved, fertilized in a lab, and transferred to help childless couples conceive.
But behind the sterile hospital walls, a growing number of students are navigating this trade through unregulated brokers and poorly supervised clinics, often without a full grasp of the medical, ethical, and emotional consequences.
In April 2025, the University of Ibadan (UI) issued a health advisory warning female students about an emerging trend on campus: egg donation for money.
Signed by the Director of University Health Services, Dr. Aderonke B. Ajayi, the memo cautioned that egg donation “should not be considered a permanent source of income or an alternative ‘side hustle.’”
The warning wasn’t arbitrary. Reports were already surfacing of young students recruited by agents to undergo hormone treatments and egg retrieval procedures in return for payments ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000.
BusinessDay Newspaper (Nigeria) also published a detailed investigation in May 2025, revealing that in cities like Ibadan, Lagos, and Abuja, clinics and brokers are fueling a quiet market for human eggs. Students desperate for income are targeted, sometimes receiving between ₦200,000 and ₦500,000 per donation cycle.
But the real cost is often hidden. Some women end up dealing with severe hormonal imbalances, internal complications, or even long-term infertility.
Speaking to this reporter on condition of anonymity, a nurse at Foundation Memorial Hospital in Makurdi, one of the few IVF-certified centers in Benue State, described how the process, though medically safe in theory, is being abused.
“Sometimes, doctors retrieve five or more oocytes from a donor instead of the agreed one or two. The girls are usually semi-conscious and can’t suspect what’s happening. This can damage their reproductive organs,” she said.
The nurse revealed eggs from girls aged 18 to 25 are more sought after because of their higher fertility potential.
“Some of them do it to buy iPhones or live flashy lifestyles. Later, when they struggle to conceive, they don’t link it back to what they did.”
A fertility doctor at the Rev. Fr Moses Orshio Adasu University Teaching Hospital, who also declined to be named, noted that though he hasn’t encountered such cases at the university, the procedure must not be commercialized.
“It’s well guided medically but everything has side effects. Commercial egg donation is not advisable,” he warned.
Medical experts across the country are raising red flags. Dr. Bukumi Kolade, an IVF specialist based in Ibadan, has called for the establishment of ethics committees within clinics and for a national law to regulate the frequency of donations.
“No one should be allowed to donate more than three times a year,” he insists, citing risks like Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), infections, and organ injury.
His voice joins that of Dr. Olalekan Ogunlowo of Zenith Hospital, who condemned the exploitation of financially vulnerable young women by fertility clinics.
The human impact is real. One UI law professor, Prof. Omolade Olomola, shared the case of a female student who traveled from Lagos to Abuja for egg donation and was paid just ₦14,000.
“She was left psychologically traumatized,” Prof. Olomola recounted, “Many of these girls are unaware of the lifelong risks. Some are coerced, others are misinformed. There is an urgent need for government regulation.”
According to the Nation newspaper, some clinics falsify medical reports, administer excessive hormonal drugs, or use substandard medications—all in pursuit of profit.
These unethical practices, when combined with poor post-retrieval care, expose young donors to infections, internal bleeding, and possible future infertility.
Abiola Ajibola, a public health specialist, highlighted the emotional consequences. “Beyond the physical damage, many of these women are not prepared for the mental distress when they later find they cannot conceive. We need to shut down clinics exploiting donors and enforce donation limits”, she said.
Legally, Nigeria remains in a grey zone. Section 53 of the National Health Act 2014 criminalizes the sale of human tissue for financial gain, prescribing fines of up to ₦5 million or jail terms.
However, ambiguity exists over whether oocytes are classified as “tissue.” This loophole allows clinics to bypass the law by describing payments as “compensation” rather than outright sale. Lawmakers like Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus La’ori had raised motions in the House of Representatives, pointing out student exploitation and calling for a crackdown on commercial egg harvesting.
Compared to international standards, Nigeria lags behind. In the United States, egg donation is commercial but highly regulated. Donors receive between $3,500 and $5,000 per cycle, with legal contracts and clinical oversight.
In contrast, European countries like the UK, France, and Italy only allow altruistic donation, compensation is minimal and strictly for expenses.
Physician and researcher Dr. Olusesan Makinde told Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) that young women are donating eggs for as low as ₦80,000, sometimes without fully understanding the implications.
One documented case involved a donor who underwent retrieval and was given only paracetamol afterward for pain relief.
Back in Makurdi, the anonymous nurse explained that commercial donation continues largely in secrecy.
“When you call some of these girls and ask where they are, they say ‘hospital.’ That’s what they do there. It’s not just medical care—it’s the business.”
The economic pressures driving this trend are undeniable, especially in a country where many students are barely able to pay rent or fees.
But experts insist that no amount of desperation justifies compromising long-term health. As Prof. Jimoh of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital noted in an Al Jazeera interview, “We’re dealing with human lives here—not merchandise. The risks are too serious to ignore.”
Until clearer laws are passed and clinics are properly monitored, Nigeria’s underground egg trade will likely continue growing.
But with each undocumented transaction, a young woman somewhere might be gambling away her future fertility for the price of a smartphone.
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