By Rosheedat Akinkunle, JKNewsMedia Reporter
SOARING COST of education has made female students at the University of Ibadan (UI) and other Nigerian universities to be increasingly turning to egg donation to be able to raise money to afford their tuition fees.
This trend has raised serious health and ethical concerns as the institution authorities cry out.
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), UI’s student advocacy group, in an internal memorandum, has sounded the alarm, describing the practice as a dangerous and exploitative survival strategy.
Nnamdi Ochi, the ERC’s Branch Secretary, pointed to the university’s controversial tuition hike during the 2022/2023 academic session, where fees surged by up to 750%.
While the tuition increases, ranging from ₦64,600 to ₦412,000 depending on the course, have created unbearable financial strain, students report little to no improvement in campus infrastructure or academic standards.
The ERC stresses that egg donation is no longer a voluntary choice but rather a desperate last resort for many female students struggling to meet the costs.
The practice, which carries significant health risks such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), mood swings, abdominal pain, and potential fertility issues, has become a troubling trend.
UI’s Health Services Department has issued a warning to students about the severe risks involved.
They stressed that while egg donation may help infertile couples, students should be fully informed of the health implications and seek professional advice before engaging in the practice.
The trend is not confined to UI, with reports indicating a wider issue among Nigerian students in other tertiary institutions.
The lack of regulation in the country’s fertility industry has raised calls for stricter legal and ethical guidelines from women’s groups and medical professionals.
The ERC has condemned the Nigerian government’s failure to adequately fund public education, linking the rise in egg donation to the systemic neglect of students’ needs.
They argue that education is a constitutional right and should not be reduced to a financial burden.
“We stand in solidarity with all students facing hardship and exploitation,” the ERC declared, urging the government to act swiftly to create a more equitable and accessible educational system that prioritises students’ health, dignity, and future.
JKNewsMedia Analysis:
Long-Term Fertility Risks Loom for Students Doing Egg Donation
TODAY, it might look harmless. But in the nearest future, the growing trend of female students turning to egg donation as a means of funding their education could have profound long-term consequences for their fertility.
In the future, these women may face an ironic and devastating reality: having given up their eggs in their youth to survive financially, they might find it difficult or impossible to conceive when they are ready to start families of their own.
The eggs donated during their student years, often without a clear understanding of the potential risks, could result in an irreversible depletion of their reproductive capacity, leaving them with limited or no options for biological children later in life.
Moreover, the health risks associated with egg donation, such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), long-term hormonal imbalances, and potential early onset menopause, could compound the difficulties these young girls are likely to encounter in their future.
Medical experts note that as fertility naturally declines with age, the additional complications from earlier egg donations might lead to even more severe challenges in conceiving.
This could lead to a generation of women who, having sacrificed their fertility for education, find themselves in a situation where they must confront the emotional, financial, and physical consequences of their decisions when they are ready to build families of their own.
The lack of adequate regulations and protections around egg donation in Nigeria further exacerbates these concerns, leaving many women vulnerable to exploitation without fully understanding the long-term impact on their lives.
