Kwara Legislators Push for Guidelines on Fertility Clinics and Donations

The Kwara State House of Assembly has called for urgent regulation of sperm and egg donation practices in the state, warning of the health, ethical, and social risks of leaving the activity unmonitored.

The matter came up during plenary on Wednesday after a motion was moved by Hon. Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu (Owode/Onire) and seconded by Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed (Banni/Adena/Gwanabe/Gwaria).

Leading the debate, Shittu explained that sperm donation involves a man voluntarily providing semen to help individuals or couples conceive, while egg donation requires retrieving a woman’s eggs for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). She stressed that although medically recognized under Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), unregulated donations expose participants to grave dangers.

She warned that the absence of proper legal and medical safeguards could result in unethical practices, exploitation, infections, hormonal imbalances, reproductive complications, and even infertility.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the practice is becoming increasingly common among young people, particularly students, who are lured by financial gains into donating reproductive materials without parental knowledge or adequate medical guidance.

According to her, unlicensed clinics and agents are taking advantage of this trend, leaving many youths ignorant of the medical, psychological, and social implications.

The House subsequently mandated its Committee on Health to investigate fertility clinics and their activities in the state, and to recommend a framework that ensures safety, accountability, and informed consent.

Shittu emphasized that society’s stability depends on the health, morality, and well-being of its youth. She therefore urged government agencies, parents, guardians, and religious leaders to intensify guidance and sensitization efforts on reproductive health.

The Assembly also appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to direct the Ministry of Health to issue clear guidelines on sperm and egg donation practices across Kwara State.