Lagos is home to a lot, including businesses that will make the jaws of a newcomer drop. One of such involves business transactions involving the male sperm as an item of trade. SUBAIR MOHAMMED, SEGUN KASALI and SEGUN ILARA report their findings about this unique trading.
As the economic hardship bites harder, hard-hit residents of Lagos State are getting more creative and desperate to make ends meet, including involving in businesses which aren’t illegitimate but appear extreme to some and considered morally and spiritually- inappropriate by some.
While some take up menial jobs considered to be beneath their social status and academic qualification, there are graduates who take to selling consumables like pepper. There are others as revealed by a survey conducted by Saturday Tribune, who are now taking financial refuge in selling their semen.
Though the practice isn’t new, but the latest discovery appears more like everyday merchandizing than the goodwill donation of the recent past, which though still attracted financial gift, but not in the mode of buying and selling that it is today.
Across Lagos state, semen centres are visibly open for willing patrons. Patrons are reportedly mainly recruited from the student population and among men who are finding it hard to cope with current economic difficulties.
When Saturday Tribune’s reporter who posed as a potential donor contacted a very famous and high-flying fertility clinic in Ikoyi (name withheld), with a request to donate, the process and the payable amount, the receptionist responded with “I will have to call you back on that, Sir”.
As of press time, she was yet to.
At another clinic which has a famous compound name (identity withheld), the receptionist said to the request, “I dont think we need one now and can’t say this is the amount we pay. If we need, we get back to you. I will share your contact”.
The response suggests some networking among the buyers.
The third clinic contacted by our undercover reporter was willing to do business and reeled out the Dos and the Don’ts of the business.
The representative of the hospital (name withheld) disclosed that a 5ml of semen costs between N30,000 and N50,000, depending on the location.
The said hospital is on the Mainland, unlike others which are located on the Island.
While speaking on the requirements to be met by a patron, she said, “A 5ml of semen costs N30,000. 70 per cent of agreed sum will be paid immediately and the balance to be paid upon the certification of the semen as healthy. The donor would have to go through some medical screening to ascertain his fitness and health status. Therefore, he would be asked to come back to complete the quantity if the 5ml cannot be completed that same day.”
While touching on the process of donation, she said the donor must abstain from sex for 2 to 3 days before coming to the hospital for donation.
She explained that the donor would have to masturbate without any lubricant, adding that some blood tests would still have to be done to ensure successful donation.
“Sperm is like crude oil”
Apart from the social benefit of assisting people to achieve their dreams of having children, semen sales and donation also offer financial benefits especially to students and to those that require urgent cash.
In an investigation conducted by Saturday Tribune, it was revealed that many people are ready to sell their sperm to augment their earnings especially at a time like this, when hunger is ravaging the land.
For a resident in the Surulere area of the State, Adeoye, selling his semen is better than wasting it away through illicit sexual escapades.
He said, “What do I need my semen for after four children? Why won’t I sell what has been wasting away for so long? Sperm is like crude oil, it produces naturally. As I am now, I am lacking financially, and if I have something that comes naturally that I can sell, why won’t I? “Do I know if someone somewhere, has been scooping the semen I have been washing away in the bathroom? Please, if you know someone that is interested in buying, I am more than willing.”
No, it’s sacred–vulcaniser
A vulcaniser along Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos, Emmanuel responded to the poser with a biblical mind. He believes sperm is too sacred to be sold for a meagre amount. He said he would rather encourage a man to donate his semen rather than sell it for a price.
He said, “I cannot encourage any man to give his sperm out for money. I would prefer to donate to a woman who is childless to help her start a family. This is rewarding than earning money from it.
“But I would say it is dangerous to receive or donate semen because you don’t know the character of the donor. If he is an armed robber or someone with wicked act, that behaviour is what the donated child will cultivate. I just don’t encourage it.
“There is a man for every woman and a child or more for every man and woman therefore the Bible rejects such an act as selling or donating your semen.”
Ritual fears.
A student at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, (LASUTech), Solebo, despite his financial difficulties, says selling his semen is never an option.
He told Saturday Tribune, he had encountered those were in the habit but would never sell or donate his sperm for any purposes.
He said, “Since I got admitted into this institution, I have never had enough in terms of money.
“My parents are struggling to make ends meet but then that is not enough reason for me to go into shady dealings or soil my hands in acts that would bring disrepute to my parents’ names. I have lot of issues to sort, but selling my semen is out of it.
“What if it falls into a wrong hand? What if they end up using my semen as ritual ingredient? There are lots of things that are associated with semen sales and donation. What if I am destined to have just one child and that child I have sold for a little amount of money and I would end up becoming childless,” he asked rhetorically.
Solape is a Lagos-based businessman that is passionate about making money through legitimate means. When asked about his opinion on semen sales, he said, “Such is not part of our culture and should be disregarded. It is a strange culture and we should not condone it even at the instance of any issue.
“Our culture frowns at it. I know people are doing it and there are semen centres across the state but then, it comes with some socio-cultural violations. It does not define who we are as Yoruba but people do it.”
Contrary to the opinion of Solape, Shola (surname withheld)said as long as it does not require blood spilling, he is good to go.
He said, “What I cannot do in my life is to spill the blood of another human being. This is legit. The product is from me so I should be able to give it out, earn some money to put food on my table.
“The financial situation in the country is unbecoming, and most people feed from hand to mouth. The search for source of income is not stopping; hence, the reason to want to take on any opportunity.
“A hungry man is an angry man and would do whatever it takes, so far it is legal, to make both ends meet.”
No religion supports it —clergy
From both Christian and Islam perspectives, clergymen also shared their views.
Pastor Peter Oyedokun said family unit and procreation are highly valued in Christendom.
He said, “In Christianity, the family unit and procreation within marriage, are highly-valued. While semen donation is not explicitly addressed in the Bible, some Christians might have reservations about it, due to concerns about the sanctity of marriage and potential identity issues for children. However, others might see it as a compassionate act of helping others.”
Also from Islamic standpoint, Imam Suraaj Sebiotimo said it is permissible if the act is done with good intention in line with Islamic principles.
However, the cleric stated that it is not allowed in Islam to donate semen to a woman one is not lawfully married to.
He said, “Family and lineage are important, and there are specific guidelines regarding inheritance and lineage.
“While semen donation is not directly addressed in the Quran, some Islamic scholars might have concerns about it due to these issues.
“However, if the act is done with good intentions and respects Islamic principles, it might be considered permissible by some scholars.
“It is not allowed to donate your semen to a woman you are not married to lawfully according to Islamic injunction. This is why scholars opined that for the Sharia to support IVF, both semen and egg to be used for the process must be from same couple and nothing else” he counselled.
It gives no joy as an alternative —Ladies
A cloth-seller in Yaba area of Lagos, Aishat said no woman would pray to go through IVF for childbearing, saying it is not a thing of joy when a woman cannot conceive naturally.
She, therefore, urged the youth to check their health viability before making entrance into marriage, adding that there might be a danger there if the necessary things are not done.
“No woman prays to go through IVF for child delivery because it is not a thing of joy when a woman cannot deliver naturally.
“The spiral effect of IVF is marriage breakdown, infidelity, lack of attention and all other atrocities that turn the back of the husband to the woman
“I therefore urge the youth to check their health viability before making entrance into marriage, because there might be a danger if the necessary things are not done.”
Meanwhile, a banker, Olatunji noted that women issues vary and as a result it is difficult to take a side on the issue of semen insemination.
Olatunji explained that those who cannot give birth would definitely feel the need to go through such.
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