Kwara students sell reproductive cells to cope with economic hardship
Tertiary students in Kwara State are resorting to selling their sperm and eggs to survive the worsening economic situation.
Sources familiar with the practice said willing donors often approach intermediaries, usually medical personnel with established connections in the trade, to declare their interest. The intermediaries then link the donors with clients and negotiate fees on their behalf.
According to one source, male donors receive between N30,000 and N50,000 per transaction, depending on their negotiating skills. The development has raised widespread concern among stakeholders, who have repeatedly condemned the trend as dangerous and exploitative.
The Kwara State House of Assembly also expressed alarm over the growing practice during a recent plenary, describing it as “unregulated sperm and egg donation” among students in the state.
Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu, representing Owode/Onire Constituency, drew her colleagues’ attention to the issue, warning that many students, particularly those at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, and the state polytechnic, were now turning to sperm and egg sales as a means of financial survival without understanding the implications.
“Many students, due to financial hardship, are lured by monetary incentives without a proper understanding of the medical, psychological, social, ethical, and moral consequences of their actions,” she said.
Shittu stressed that egg donation in particular carries significant health risks, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, infections, and long-term fertility complications.
She urged the government to intervene urgently by launching sensitisation campaigns across tertiary institutions to educate students on the risks involved.
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