Thinking of adopting a baby? Before you proceed I have three questions for you: “Do you want the baby with or without the placenta? Do you want the baby to have dark or light skin?”[i] or “Do you want a baby fresh from the womb?”[ii] No, these are not trick questions. These are real questions, questions baby factory operators in Nigeria ask their numerous clients.

Shocking as it may seem, daily, at least 10 children are reportedly sold[iii] in these factories.Baby factories refer “to any accommodation where mostly underage pregnant girls are kept with or without their consent, or young girls are encouraged or forced to become pregnant, for the purpose of giving birth to babies that are sold to diverse clients”.[iv] In these factories, babies are reduced to commodities and their mothers, transportation vessels- vessels that are useful until their babies are born and then sold.

The stigma surrounding infertility in Nigeria drives the prevalence of baby factories. A high premium is placed on biological children and baby factories provide a viable alternative. After all, who can doubt the authenticity of the biological relationship if you can provide the child’s placenta?

Nevertheless, the existence of baby factories cannot be justified. Baby factories perpetuate not just child trafficking but sex trafficking, rape, coercion, gender discrimination and child abuse. It further complicates the already difficult problem of sex trafficking because not only are women trafficked for sex, they are more importantly trafficked for the purpose of forceful procreation. Thus, this becomes a situation of double trafficking. The owners of these baby factories work with designated men to rape the girls continuously until they get pregnant. Or as a baby factory owner describes it, “his job is to get the girls pregnant, and he knows how to get the job done”.[v] Rape becomes trivialized as an important means to an end. The girls are also locked up and their movement is restricted to prevent suspicion.

Surprisingly, medical practitioners play an important role. Vulnerable teenagers and single mothers are sometimes coerced into selling their babies in exchange for “shelter and care while they are pregnant”.[vi] Once again the stigma surrounding teenage pregnancy and pregnancy outside marriage serves as a motivation. The mothers are forced to sign documents relinquishing their rights over their babies and swear oaths of secrecy.^[vii] This is akin to the spiritual bondage women trafficked to Europe from Nigeria face and deserves the same attention.

As with all markets, some goods are worth more than others. This market is no different and boys are sold for $4,400 while girls are sold for $4,000.[viii] Although this is not the standard price, boys are always more expensive than girls. It is appalling that cultural and gender stereotypes feature in this illegal market.

So, what should be done? How can baby factories be eradicated?

It starts with you. Yes, you. How do you address your childless friend? How do you treat your pregnant teenage daughter? How do you relate with your sister’s adopted child? The conversation surrounding infertility, adoption and teenage pregnancy must change. Infertility should not lead to excommunication. Care for your teenage daughter. Treat the adopted child like a biological child; children are created equal.

The government also has a significant role to play in creating awareness. Passing a law criminalizing baby factories is not enough. Fertility treatments should be subsidized and more social welfare programs targeted to teenage and single mothers should be implemented. The media also has a crucial role to play. Blog columns such as “The Fertile Chick”[ix] have proved effective in creating awareness about infertility and options such as IVF in Nigeria.

Baby factories can become obsolete. However, it requires a paradigm shift; one we must be willing to undertake.

References

[i]”Global.” Safe World for Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.asafeworldforwomen.org/global-news/africa/nigeria/4388-baby-factory.html&gt;.

[ii]Jr., Philip Obaji. “Exposed: Nigeria’s Notorious Baby Factories.” The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company, 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/12/exposed-nigeria-s-notorious-baby-factories.html&gt;.

[iii]Jr., Philip Obaji.

[iv]Freedom C. Onuoha. “The Evolving Menace of Baby Factories and Trafficking in Nigeria.” African Security Review, vol. 23, no. 4, 2014, pp. 405–411.,

[v]Jr., Philip Obaji.

[vi]Freedom C. Onuoha. “The Evolving Menace of Baby Factories and Trafficking in Nigeria.” African Security Review, vol. 23, no. 4, 2014, pp. 405–411., doi:10.1080/10246029.2014.941886.

[vii]Olagbegi, Bisi Olateru, et al. “Human trafficking in Nigeria: Root causes and recommendations.” Policy Paper 14 (2006).

[viii]”Global.” Safe World for Women.

[ix]Chick, Nicole The Fertile, “The Fertile Chick: Mrs. P’s Secondary Infertility Victory.” BellaNaija. N.p., 21 Apr. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <https://www.bellanaija.com/2017/04/the-fertile-chick-mrs-ps-secondary-infertility-victory/&gt;.