Award-winning Nollywood actress Ini Edo has spoken candidly about her deeply personal journey to motherhood through surrogacy, urging for a change in societal perceptions and a push for stronger legal protections for surrogate mothers in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Meet Surrogate Mothers IVF Conference held in Lagos, Edo emphasized that her experience was far from distant or transactional. Instead, she described it as a collaborative and emotionally rich process rooted in mutual respect.
“She wasn’t just a vessel. I was involved every step of the way from prenatal care and medical decisions to emotional bonding during the pregnancy,” Edo shared.
The actress firmly rejected the idea of surrogate mothers being labeled or treated as “baby factories,” calling that mindset reductive and harmful.
“When people reduce surrogacy to being just a baby factory, they overlook the safeguards, the ethics, the choice. They forget that love can take many forms.”
She urged the public and lawmakers alike to see surrogacy as a legitimate, ethical, and emotionally complex path to parenthood, not just a technical or commercial solution.
Ini Edo also called on policymakers to establish a clear legal framework for surrogacy in Nigeria, aimed at preventing exploitation and promoting ethical practices.
“There must be laws that protect everyone involved. Surrogates deserve dignity, safety, and rights just like the parents do.”
Her powerful message adds to the growing call within Nigeria’s medical and legal circles for regulation of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), especially surrogacy, in order to address ethical grey areas and protect vulnerable women.