Surrogacy Bill 2024: Nigeria's Bold Step Toward Regulating A Complex Frontier

Introduction

The Nigerian Surrogacy Bill 2024 (the Bill) scaled second reading in the House of Representatives in October 2024. The Bill, which seeks to establish the surrogacy regulatory commission and provide for allied matters, is crucial as it would provide a regulatory framework to govern the activities of parties that are involved in surrogacy arrangements in Nigeria. The absence of a piece of legislation that clearly defines the rights and obligations of parties to surrogacy arrangements in Nigeria has created room for uncertainties and exploitation. Therefore, a bill of this nature should be holistic, providing the much-needed clarity for a popular procedure mostly done underground. In this article, the writer shall highlight the key provisions of the Bill and suggest areas of improvement.