This came after the adoption of a motion by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), who stated that referrals to fertility centers and Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) have increased significantly in Nigeria in recent years.

He said, “Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures entail the surgical extraction of eggs from a woman’s ovaries, their fusion with sperm in laboratory settings, and subsequent reintegration into the donor’s body or transfer to another woman or storage in an egg bank;

“These women undergo the surgical egg retrieval, relinquishing control over the eggs obtained. They are typically remunerated between N100,000 to N150,000 per retrieval, with as many as five to six eggs potentially extracted per month”.

He said due to the absence of a suitable regulatory framework, fertility centres exploited providers/donors and potentially engaged in the trade of donated eggs.

He said, “If this trend is not checked immediately, there’s possibility of a sharp rise in cases of infertility and cancer infections on the part of the young donors and surrogates as well as promoting the exploitative practices involved”.

The committee was mandated by the House to create a detailed framework in regulating egg transfer and procurement services in Nigeria.

The committee must also guarantee informed consent, fair compensation, and the protection of donors’ and providers’ well-being.