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To Make Quick Money
There is a new but dangerous lifestyle now prevalent among Nigerian youths, especially students, that many are not aware of. Their parents and wards are not aware of this worrisome trend and neither is the larger society. While the spotlight has, for several years running, been on the abuse of hard drugs and dangerous substances by the youths, there is a new monster on the horizon, and if its not immediately nipped in the bud, it could very well spiral into into a major epidemic among the Nigerian youths.
A couple of weeks ago, at a private medical facility located somewhere in Badagry, two young men with dreadlocks between the ages of 22 and 25 years, strolled into the reception of a medical facility to speak to the lady at the reception desk. It was apparent they were familiar faces at the facility, judging by the way they greeted the nurses around. After exchanging a few words with the lady at the desk, they suddenly looked disappointed and agitated as well. Then, they took their leave.
From the conversation that later ensued between the lady at the desk and one of her colleagues who inquired about the young men, they had both come seeking for a willing buyer for their sperm! They left disappointed because the lady told them the hospital management has warned their staff to desist from engaging young people for such medical transactions.
Upon investigation, it turned out these young lads also trade their eggs, blood and the likes to make quick money! And there are thousands of young men, especially, within and outside Nigerian campuses who are neck deep in this unholy act. It has become a steady source of livelihood to them, something they see as the ‘coolest’ way to make easy money without getting into any form of trouble.
Further investigation revealed that this dangerous trend is not synonimous to Badagry axis of Lagos state alone, it also exists in several parts of the country. And more and more students are getting enrolled into the racket every single day. On the surface, it looks as though the prevailing economic situation might be responsible for this situation, but a much closerr look reveals it is less about mere survival and more about the toxic culture of competition, peer pressure, and distorted values that have seeped into campus life. While hardship plays a role, it cannot be the sole excuse for choices that risk lives and futures. The harsh truth is that some students, even those who are not the poorest, are willingly selling their bodies and dignity, trading parts of themselves at IVF centres , in a reckless gamble driven by greed and desperation to “keep up” or get ahead. This is a dangerous spiral that threatens to destroy the very foundation of youth potential in our higher institutions and beyond.
According to City People investigation, it was discovered that many students, along with other out of school youths, resort to sharp practices including cultism, armed robbery, and other violent crimes to survive the harsh realities they face.
Other calm, gentle, and secretive students, according to sources, run rings of internet fraudsters, popularly known as “Yahoo boys.” Meanwhile, others engage in selling what they refer to as “body resources” including sperm, blood, and eggs , which are in high demand at In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres.
A 300-level Biochemistry student at one of the tertiary institutions, she explains: “It’s an easy way to make money in just a few sessions and walk away, rather than risk engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, internet fraud, or other scams where you could be caught and face the law.”
Another student involved in the practice added, “We use the proceeds to pay for rent, school fees, settle some courses, and cover other personal expenses.”
A senior nursing officer at a General Hospital noted that the heavy patronage of IVF centres by childless couples and single women desperate to have children before menopause is driving the growing demand across the state.
“The high volume of clients has led several medical consultants to operate IVF centres as private businesses within their clinics, even while working for government institutions at both state and federal levels,” the officer explained.
Similarly, a senior medic at one of the University Teaching Hospitals who pleaded not to be named, disclosed, “Some of my colleagues run these centres to supplement their meager government salaries with additional income.”
According to a LEADERSHIP report, the senior medic blamed many sharp practices and other unwholesome acts by medical professionals on what he called the “poor reward system for medical workers in Akwa Ibom.”
“We have baby factories across the hinterlands of the state, where nurses, midwives, and other workers collude to operate theatres where young girls are groomed and artificially inseminated with sperm and eggs bought specifically from young men and incubated.
“Some are impregnated directly by young boys, who may be thrilled by the offer of free sex from human trafficking syndicates, which pay them after impregnating the girls.
“The victims, mostly young girls, are carefully carried through the gestational period until they deliver the babies and are paid off, while the babies are traded to those in need. We have captured many of them, prosecuted the perpetrators, and handed the victims over to NAPTIP for family reunification,” a senior police operative explained. “But are those indulging in trading vital resources from their bodies aware of the long-term consequences beyond the quick cash? He added.
Aside from being offensive to the natural birth process, Christendom has expressed deep concern that the youth, who make up the most active segment of the population remain unaware of the harm this practice inflicts on their bodies, which could seriously hinder their personal development.
While Professor Idongesit Patrick Solomon, a specialist in Animal Reproductive Physiology at UNIUYO, views the practice as a legitimate solution to fertility challenges in both humans and animals, Catholic clergy strongly oppose it. They urge childless couples to consider adoption rather than resorting to artificial methods of parenthood.
During the recent Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Ikot Ekpene LGA, church leaders voiced serious concerns over the growing trend of youths donating blood, sperm, and eggs to desperate patrons eager to become parents, regardless of the origins of the children.
In many government and private hospitals, the sale of blood by less-privileged youths has become a common survival tactic amid harsh economic conditions, presenting itself as a seemingly legal way out of hardship.
More alarmingly, a senior medical consultant, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that the practice of selling blood, sperm, and eggs has become widespread among young people, particularly university students, raising urgent ethical and health concerns.
Many young people resort to selling vital resources from their bodies because times are truly tough. Some students cannot pay their school fees because they have lost their parents, while others rely on retired relatives or single mothers struggling without steady jobs or stable income.
“But what we discovered in some cases is shocking, yet, in a way, fortunate for them,” said a medical professional. “Many come here believing that because they look healthy, their bodies are fine. But when we screened their blood, we found that most were unaware of their actual health status, having never undergone regular health checks or tests. Alarmingly, many were found to be infected with various ailments, including HIV/AIDS, while others showed symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).”
“So, what we do in such cases is set these individuals aside for counseling and advise them to undergo antiretroviral treatment, which is available for free,” explained a senior nursing officer who runs a private clinic in Uyo.
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He added that, “Many break down emotionally at first, but we counsel them that these ailments no longer mean a death sentence, provided they strictly adhere to the medication regimen.”
It must be stated that this rampant exploitation of vulnerable youths by some unscrupulous medical personnel is a betrayal of the very oath sworn to protect and heal. By preying on desperate students and young people, often unaware of the long-term health consequences, these practitioners not only endanger lives but also fuel a dangerous cycle of abuse and exploitation.
This reprehensible behaviour demands urgent condemnation and decisive action from regulatory bodies and government authorities.
Medical professionals must be reminded that their role is to safeguard health and dignity, not to capitalize on hardship for personal gain. The time has come for strict oversight, harsh penalties for offenders, and comprehensive education to protect these young minds from being reduced to mere sources of bodily commodities.
It is time for government health regulators to swing into action and put a stop to this menace before it leads our teeming youth to irreversible self destruct. The vices bedeviling our youth are no longer about drug abusive and organ harvesting alone, they have also added selling of their sperm, their eggs and blood to the racket all in the name of making quick mney. The appropriate agencies must rise to stem the tide before things get really out of control.
