Ife Agoro’s Pregnancy Take Sparks Heated Online Reactions
A heated conversation is sweeping across Nigerian social media after Ife Agoro, founder of Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG), revealed in a video that she intends to hire a surrogate to carry her child, not out of medical necessity, but by personal preference.
“I’m perfectly okay healthwise, but I don’t want to go through pregnancy myself. I’ll pay a surrogate,” Ife reportedly said, sparking intense debate online.
While surrogacy is increasingly being discussed in modern family planning, Ife’s position, choosing surrogacy despite being physically able to carry a pregnancy has divided public opinion.
On one side of the conversation are supporters of bodily autonomy and modern parenting choices. Many argue that Ife, like every woman, has the right to decide how she wants to bring children into the world whether through childbirth, IVF, adoption, or surrogacy.
Some feminists and progressive voices have pointed out that Western celebrities regularly choose surrogacy for convenience, career protection, or mental health, so why should a Nigerian woman be vilified for the same?
“If Beyoncé, Kim K, and Priyanka Chopra can do it, why can’t a Nigerian woman have that freedom without being attacked?” one user commented on X (formerly Twitter).
But not everyone agrees. Critics, including actress Kate Henshaw have raised moral, ethical, and legal questions about the implications of such choices in a country like Nigeria, where surrogacy laws are still largely unregulated.
Kate, in a strongly-worded reaction, said:
“It’s a means to exploit people who are not financially capable. Surrogacy should not be treated like buying a handbag.”
Many others online echoed her sentiments, arguing that Ife’s take normalizes using poorer women as vessels for the convenience of the rich, without guarantees of long-term care or protection.
Some also felt that her tone seemed dismissive of the emotional, physical, and psychological toll pregnancy takes, even for surrogates.
The backlash also reflects Nigeria’s strong cultural and religious roots, where pregnancy is still seen as a sacred rite and motherhood is tied to physical childbirth. Many fear that normalizing “surrogacy by choice” could send the wrong message to younger women, that childbearing is now optional if you can afford a shortcut.
The controversy has once again highlighted Nigeria’s urgent need for surrogacy laws. There is currently no federal legal framework guiding surrogacy agreements, maternal rights, or protections for surrogates in Nigeria.
Legal experts and women’s rights groups are now using this moment to call for policy change, ensuring that surrogacy is both accessible and ethically sound, especially in a developing nation.
Ife Agoro’s statement has ignited a necessary dialogue about choice, privilege, and ethical boundaries in an evolving society. While some see her stance as brave and progressive, others view it as tone-deaf and potentially exploitative.
But one thing is clear: Nigeria is in the middle of a cultural shift, and conversations like these are forcing everyone government, influencers, and citizens to rethink what modern motherhood looks like.
26/06/2025, 17:18:39
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