What surrogacy is
In surrogacy, a woman carries a pregnancy for someone else. This guide covers gestational surrogacy, where an embryo is created through IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and placed in the surrogate's womb. The surrogate does not use her own egg, so she is not the child's genetic mother.
The eggs and sperm can come from the intended parents, or from a donor. Who provides them shapes the legal and citizenship steps, so we raise it on the first call.
Who it can help
Surrogacy is usually considered when a woman cannot carry a pregnancy, or when carrying one would be unsafe for her. Single people also ask about it. Whether it is right for you is a medical and personal decision. Your own fertility doctor advises on the medical side, and we never ask you to share medical details on this website.
The law in Nigeria
Nigeria has no single national law on surrogacy. Lagos State has issued its own guidelines on assisted reproduction. Elsewhere, an arrangement rests on written agreements and on independent legal advice for everyone involved.
What this means for you. You need a Nigerian lawyer to explain how the agreements and the birth registration work in your case, and a lawyer in your home country to explain how your country treats the arrangement. We coordinate with them. We do not replace them, and we are not a law firm.
Laws and guidelines change. Ask every lawyer to confirm the position on the day you sign.
The people involved
- You, the intended parents. You make the decisions and sign the agreements.
- The surrogate. She is screened, gives her consent in writing and has her own lawyer.
- The fertility clinic and doctors. They provide the treatment and monitor the pregnancy.
- Lawyers. One for you, one for the surrogate, and one at home for your country's rules.
- Us. We coordinate the whole process, keep you informed and keep every promise in writing.
The medical steps
- Your doctors assess whether surrogacy is medically appropriate for you.
- Embryos are created through IVF, using your eggs and sperm or donor material.
- The surrogate is screened medically and psychologically.
- An embryo is transferred to the surrogate's womb.
- The pregnancy is monitored by doctors until the birth.
Your doctors decide the details. If you want to understand the terms, our glossary explains them in plain words.
The legal steps
- Independent legal advice for you, for the surrogate, and in your home country.
- Written agreements, signed before any treatment starts.
- Birth registration in Nigeria after the birth.
- For many families, DNA testing to document the genetic link.
- Citizenship papers, a passport and travel documents for your child.
The last two depend on your country. See your country.
How long it takes
Plan on well over a year from your first call to the birth. Matching, the medical plan, the agreements and the pregnancy each take time, and paperwork after the birth takes more. We give you a realistic timeline for your own case after your first call.
What it costs
The cost depends on your medical plan, so we do not publish a single number. What we do publish is exactly what the cost covers, and how your written breakdown is laid out. See the costs page.
The emotional side
Surrogacy brings hope, worry, gratitude and sometimes guilt, often in the same week. That is normal. Our article on the psychological impact of surrogacy on future parents may help, and so can speaking to a counsellor who knows fertility.
Choosing an agency
Ask every agency, including us, the same five questions: can I read the full contract before I pay, who is the surrogate and has she had her own lawyer, what will it cost in writing, how will my child get citizenship and travel documents, and what happens if something goes wrong. See the five questions with good and bad answers, and how to verify any agency.
Ready to talk it through?
A 30 to 40 minute call. We listen first, then explain what we can and cannot do for you.