The Kwara State House of Assembly has raised concerns over the rising trend of unregulated sperm and egg donation among students of tertiary institutions in the state, particularly at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, and Kwara State Polytechnic.
During plenary on Wednesday, September 10, the House debated a motion moved by Hon. Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu, member representing Owode/Onire Constituency, who warned that many young male and female students now sell their sperm and eggs to survive financial hardship, without fully grasping the medical and social risks involved. “I led the debate on the need for government attention on the rising trend of unregulated sperm and egg donation in Kwara State,” Hon. Shittu said. “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.”
The lawmaker noted that egg donation, in particular, poses serious health dangers, as it requires hormonal stimulation and surgical procedures that may cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), infections, or long-term fertility complications. She urged urgent government intervention through massive sensitisation campaigns across tertiary institutions in the state to equip students with accurate information and protect them from exploitation.
The motion sparked reactions from residents, with some commending the debate and others demanding concrete data on the issue. Yahaya Bola Nurudeen described the motion as timely, stressing the need for government-backed awareness.
“This is one of the good and important motions. Students must be sensitized about the implications,” he said.
Musa Tajudeen, however, linked the development to worsening poverty among youths. “Ninety percent of them know the implications, but poverty is what does not make them think straight. Government needs to address what is pushing people to this act,” he argued. On his part, Yakubu Adebayo Jamiu queried the absence of statistics to support the claims.
“I was expecting some figures to justify the rise we are talking about. Do we have any data on sperm and egg donors in the state?” he asked.
Another resident, Usman Zulkarnaini, stressed that sensitisation was long overdue. “This is a key issue that really needs urgent sensitisation. No stone should be left unturned in curbing this notorious practice in our society today,” he said.
