Health

No respite for infertile couples as treatment cost skyrockets

Published

5 years ago

October 11, 2021

When Doris, a 30-year-old civil servant suffered series of successive pregnancy failures, she and her spouse were encouraged to seek specialized pregnancy care service.

Before then, the couple had tried to conceive for more than six years going from one doctor to another until a gynaecologist diagnosed Doris with incompetent (blocked) fallopian tubes and referred her to a fertility specialist.

After series of preliminary tests and investigations, the couple was advised to try Invitro Fertilisation, IVF, but was in for a shock to learn that it would cost between N1 million and N1.5 million for a single cycle of the procedure. This sum, it was gathered, excludes the cost of assessment, tests, drugs and other incidentals.

The couple’s anxiety escalated when it was made clear that for best results, patients undergoing IVF treatment are recommended to budget for a three-IVF cycle plan.

In Nigeria an estimated 90-95 per cent of IVF and other treatment costs are paid out-of-pocket with just a handful of patients having access to some form of financial support plan. Doris and her spouse belong to the out-of-pocket paying group.

The foregoing exemplifies the financial challenge of seeking assisted fertility treatment in Nigeria where raising children is already challenging under the prevailing economic downturn.

Though most infertile couples readily seek at least one type of fertility treatment, high cost is a major hindrance to achieving their dream of parenthood.

Reproductive health officials told Vanguard that for couples that require donor eggs, donor sperms, or donor embryos plus any additional form of third party intervention such as surrogacy or other technically specialized procedure, the cost is often several times more than that of a normal IVF cycle because there are additional charges to contend with.

Vanguard gathered that infertility treatment costs are not fixed across board, rather costs are usually personalised.

It was further learnt that major factors that determine the cost include the patients’ diagnosis, recommended procedure, as well as the location and sophistication of the treatment centre.

Most of the centres are based in Lagos in Ikeja, Surulere, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and the Lekki/Ajah axis. Several other centres are in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Asaba to mention a few.

Vanguard findings show that the cost of a routine diagnostic test for infertility ranges between N150,000 and N300,000. This may include semen analysis, blood tests for hormone levels, biopsy, genetic testing, etc.

A medical consultation along with an initial assessment may be offered at a one-time cost of around N100,000. A reassessment is often necessary after six months of the initial assessment at additional cost.

One of the ART consultants told Vanguard that the cost of a standard Intrauterine Insemination, IUI, cycle (including cost of drugs), ranges between N300,000 and N500,000 while subsequent/repeated IUI cycle goes for N250,000 and up to N450,000.

He explained that one of the key determinants of the cost is the location of the centre where the procedure is carried out.

Vanguard findings reveal that in Nigeria, the cost of a single IVF cycle in a decent centre or hospital begins from around N1.0 million up to N1.5 million excluding the cost of drugs. For a two-cycle plan, the cost is between N1.6 million and N2.6 million while a three-cycle plan is in the range of N2.1 million up to N3.6 million all excluding the cost of drugs.

If the cost of drugs is factored in, the overall cost could go up by at least an additional N1 million for each category.

Additional costs for other interventions

It was further disclosed by the practitioners that couples that require additional intervention pay extra.

For instance, the cost of opting for one cycle of a combination of IVF plus Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, ICSI, (a technically sophisticated procedure for addressing sperm related male-factor infertility) is between N2.0 million and N3.0 million.

Each subsequent cycle of IVF with ICSI combination is between N1.5 million and N2.5 million depending on the treatment centre.

For couples that require donor eggs, cost of a single IVF cycle is between N2.4 million and N3.1 million inclusive of screening of the donor but excluding the cost of drugs.

For two IVF cycles with donor eggs, couples pay from N4.8 million up to N6.0 million, while the cost of a three-cycle IVF plan with donor eggs goes between N5.5 million and N6.7 million inclusive of screening of the donor but excluding the cost of drugs.

Subsequent repeated cycles with donor eggs start from around N2.4 million per cycle with the cost of drugs adding at least N1 million extra to each category.

Vanguard learnt that if donor sperm is required for the IVF cycle, the costs vary, as sperm banks and fertility centres fix their own prices. The procedure per cycle is between N1.3 million and N1.8 million inclusive of insemination and screening of the donor but excludes the cost of drugs.

One frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle including the cost of drugs ranges between N0.9 million and N1. 6 million depending on the centre and its location.

For couples that desire to preserve their embryos, the cost of embryo freezing per quarter (per embryo) at average of N100,000.

Other service charges

Endoscopy is an investigative /diagnostic procedure where a thin, lighted tube (endoscope) is inserted into the uterus to examine it for infections, diseases or any abnormalities.

The most frequently carried out gynecological endoscopy procedures are hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.

The cost of these procedures range from N300, 000 up to N3.0 million depending on the patient’s diagnosis/requirements and location of the fertility clinic or centre.

From findings, average cost of basic fertility treatment in Nigeria including consultation, investigation, counselling tests, drugs and follow up starts from a conservative N1.3 million.

Cost of surrogacy higher

If for any reason, a woman is unable to carry her own pregnancy, a surrogate can do it for her. Surrogacy is the involvement of a third party in the infertility treatment process. There are two types of surrogacy – traditional and gestational.

Traditional surrogacy uses the biological father’s sperm to artificially inseminate the surrogate mother who then carries the baby for the intended parents.

A traditional surrogate shares a genetic connection with the baby she carries.

For gestational surrogacy, IVF is utilised to create an embryo that is then carried by the surrogate, thus the surrogate has no genetic ties with the baby since her eggs are not used. This is the more commonly utilised method.

The average cost of gestational surrogacy varies and could range between N5.0 million and N8.0 million or more depending on whether or not it includes the IVF treatment fees, surrogate fee, diagnostic assessments, drugs, legal fees among other costs.

Overseas option still higher

Further investigation reveals that infertility treatment is even more expensive abroad. In the United Kingdom for instance, similar treatment procedures would attract around N3.0 million excluding the cost of visas, flight tickets, accommodation, feeding and other ancillary charges.

In the United Arab Emirates which has become the hub of medical tourism lately, the same treatment would attract up to N3.3 million; USA N5.5 million; South Africa N2.1 million; India N1.8 million; Germany N2.7 million; Spain N2.8 million; Denmark N2.6 million; Greece N2.3 million and Czech Republic N2.2 million

Practitioners explain the cost

Professor Osato Giwa –Osagie, renowned IVF specialist and Co-pioneer of IVF in Nigeria, says the high cost of IVF treatment in Nigeria is not unconnected with the poor state of the economy as well as infrastructural and manpower challenges in the health sector.

Giwa-Osagie encouraged the setting up of even more fertility centres as well as intensive financial support.

“Most of the things utilised in IVF are imported and some are consumables that are used just once and discarded.

“Getting appropriately trained and qualified personnel like the nurses, embryologists and clinicians is still a challenge.

“The equipment is expensive and most centres have to acquire more than one, sometimes two or even three equipment of the same kind for just one procedure because of the issue of maintenance locally. All this adds to the cost.”

According to the “Biological and Social Aspects of Human Infertility: A Global Perspective” published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia: “Progress for lower-cost state-of-the-art infertility treatment options is desirable.

“However, progress will depend on getting policies right, building health systems that work well and ensuring availability of enough trained medical staff.”

Nigeria’s health funding

For Nigeria, this would include an increase in per capita expenditure within the health system to meet WHO recommendation.

Nigeria has been far behind the recommendations and also behind peer group of nations in healthcare funding, a situation that has forced almost all infertility treatment to be on out-of-pocket expense.

In 2018, as stated by the latest available data by the World Bank, the per capita health expenditure for Nigeria was $84.

In comparison, figures for other developing countries are: Algeria $256, Brasil $848, Gabon $218, Ghana $78, India $73, Kenya $88, Mexico $520, Namibia $471, Pakistan $42, Rwanda $58, Senegal $59, South Africa $526, Tunisia $252, and Uganda $43.

Nigeria has never met the Abuja Declaration target of allocating at least 15 percent of the overall national budget to health.

The closest that the country has got to the target was in 2012 when N289, 770 billion or 6.23 percent of the N4, 648,849 billion federal budget was allocated.

In 2001 when the Abuja Declaration was made, the federal health budget was N41, 269 billion which was 4.46 percent of the N894, 214 billion overall federal budget.

The lowest percentage allocation to health since the Declaration was in 2010 when N185, 765 billion (4.20 percent) of the N4, 427,184 billion federal budget was allocated.

In 2021, the federal allocation to health is N604,191 billion, or 4.45 percent of the N13, 588, 027 billion federal 2021 budget.

This is lower than in 2020 when N575, 228 billion or 5.32 percent of the N10, 810.800 billion federal budget was allocated.

Vanguard News Nigeria

Related Topics:infertile couples respite skyrockets treatment

Up Next

FG stopped residency payment after strike suspension – NARD

Don't Miss

WHO reports global shortfall in mental health investment

Health

Don’t add lies to the terrorist horror in Oyo, By Farooq Kperogi

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Farooq Kperogi

Don’t add lies to the terrorist horror in Oyo, By Farooq Kperogi

The kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State is horrifying enough by itself. It does not need the embellishment of lies, half-truths, conjectures and opportunistic propaganda to make it more horrifying than it already is.

But that is precisely what appears to be happening with the viral, social-media-amplified list of “demands” allegedly made by the terrorist bandits who kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.

According to the social media version of the story, the bandits have demanded four things as preconditions for releasing the innocent people in their captivity: one billion naira to be paid into an account in the Republic of Benin, the release of bandits supposedly being held in Agodi and Abolongo prisons, two Hilux vehicles and the amendment of Oyo State laws to introduce Sharia.

This list has travelled far and wide because it has all the elements that make rumors combustible in Nigeria. It involves money, foreign conspiracy, terrorism, prisons, Sharia and the implicit insinuation that some local Muslims must know more than they are saying. It is almost a perfect specimen of panic engineering.

The problem is that it has no firm evidentiary foundation. The abduction is, of course, real. So are the communal grief and the horrors people in Oyo and the Southwest are contending with now. But the four-point demand list that is now being hawked across social media as fact is not supported by any credible reporting.

The source of the social media-fueled four-point demand list appears to be a vague statement attributed to the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin. He was reported to have asked whether anyone would negotiate with terrorists if they asked for weapons, money or concessions on future laws of the land as part of their ransom.

That is a general, hypothetical-sounding formulation. But some people somewhere with a predetermined agenda sat down and chose to stretch this conjectural formulation from the Speaker as evidence of disclosure of a precise list of specific demands.

There is a world of difference between saying terrorists asked for “weapons, money or concessions on future laws” and saying they demanded “one billion naira into a Benin Republic account, two Hilux vehicles, release of detainees in Agodi and Abolongo prisons and the introduction of Sharia in Oyo State.” One is vague, perhaps even rhetorical. The other is specific, explosive and politically loaded. You cannot responsibly move from the first to the second without foolproof evidence.

READ ALSO:

Even the few newspaper reports that published the more sensational version were cautious and guarded in their language. They said, “reports indicate,” “reportedly attributed” and “according to the report” without once mentioning any “report.” That is lazy journalism’s way of saying, “We have no facts for this story.”

But certain people on social media have laundered the uncertainty into certainty, the allegation into fact, the list as a means to attract and monetize eyeballs, and the rumor into a psychological weapon.

The Sharia claim is the most suspicious part of the whole thing. Where will the Sharia be implemented? In the classrooms from which the children were abducted? In the Old Oyo National Park where the homicidal, blood-stained criminals are believed to be hiding? In the kidnappers’ forest camps? Or across Oyo State through a ransom note from bandits? The absurdity should detain us before outrage overtakes our capacity for critical thought.

The demand is also historically and empirically incoherent. Bandits and terrorists (who, in my dictionary, are indistinct) have murdered Muslims in states where Sharia already exists. They have attacked mosques. They have killed imams while they are leading prayers in mosques during Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month. They have kidnapped Muslim women, Muslim children, Muslim clerics and Muslim farmers.

They have devastated Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna and other Muslim-majority communities such as Kwara North. Just last week, these insensate beasts abducted the wives and children of the Emir of Yasikiru in my natal local government of Baruten. Not done, they also burned the emir’s palace. This happened only a few months after murdering nearly 300 people and abducting nearly 300 women and children, most of whom are Muslims, in neighboring Kaiama Local Government.

To suddenly believe that the same species of criminals has discovered the virtues of Sharia and are championing its enshrinement in Oyo State’s laws is to suspend judgment in the service of prejudice.

READ ALSO:

The Benin Republic bank account story is also suspicious. Of course, no banking system is immune to criminal manipulation. Criminals use “mule accounts,” stolen identities and corrupt intermediaries everywhere. So, the existence of KYC and anti-money-laundering rules does not make the claim impossible. But it does make it evidentially demanding. If anyone claims that kidnappers asked for one billion naira to be paid into a named or unnamed Benin Republic account, the burden of proof should be higher than “according to reports.”

The danger of this rumor is not merely that it is false or unverified. It is that it has already acquired a social function. It is being used to suggest that Yoruba Muslims, especially those who have advocated the introduction of the civil aspects of Sharia to adjudicate issues like marriage and inheritance among Muslims, are somehow complicit in the crimes of these bandits.

It is also being used to imply that the abduction of Yoruba schoolchildren is part of an Islamic plot that local Muslims either endorse or secretly facilitate. This is how societies descend into self-sabotaging moral idiocy. Criminals commit crimes and innocent people who share a religion, ethnicity or language with the imagined identity of the criminals are made to bear the brunt of unjustified transferred aggression.

It bears stressing that Yoruba Muslims are not responsible for the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State. Muslim communities in Yorubaland are not accessories to banditry merely because a rumor says kidnappers demanded Sharia. The mere mention of Sharia in a viral post does not convert every Muslim in Oyo, Osun, Ogun or Lagos into a suspect. To argue otherwise is to accept the same collective guilt logic that has poisoned Nigeria’s intergroup relations for decades.

Terrorists murder Muslims, Christians, traditional worshippers and non-religious people. They murder Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv, Berom, Nupe, Baatonu and everyone else when doing so advances their greed, sadistic urges, murderous impulses or tactical objectives. They are not equal-opportunity humanists, of course. They often manipulate religion and ethnicity. They sometimes speak the language of faith while practicing the ethics of beasts. But their victims are not drawn from one religious community alone.

The fight against terrorism is weakened when we isolate innocent groups for demonization. It dissipates much-needed moral energy and produces enemies where allies are needed. It also encourages communities to hide behind siege mentalities instead of cooperating across religious and ethnic lines to expose criminals. The people who should be angry together are made to be angry at one another.

The people who kidnapped children in Oyo State are reprehensible, homicidal outlaws. The state must rescue the victims, punish the perpetrators, expose their collaborators and secure schools and forests. That is the task, and it is immense, urgent, ever-present and already morally overwhelming. It should not be complicated by people who are eager to graft their pre-existing animus onto other people’s pain.

Someone I discussed this issue with yesterday told me that the rumors of the list of demands are activated by an unusually heightened sense of vigilance. I get that. There is nothing wrong with vigilance. In fact, vigilance is now a condition for survival in Nigeria. But vigilance without verification can provoke self-annihilating hysteria and mob psychology.

The children and teachers in captivity deserve our full attention. Their families deserve empathy unpolluted by propaganda. Oyo State deserves security, not rumor-fed religious suspicion. Nigeria deserves a serious conversation about the collapse of state protection, the spread of kidnapping economies, the mass helplessness in the face of terror and the ungoverned spaces that have become refuge for terrorists and bandits.

What Nigeria does not need is another lie added to an already unbearable tragedy.

Don’t add lies to the terrorist horror in Oyo, By Farooq Kperogi

Kperogi is a renowned Nigerian columnist and United States-based Professor of Journalism.

Health

How Online Pharmaceutical Ads Endanger Lives, Fuel Self-Medication

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2026

Trends Admin

How Online Pharmaceutical Ads Endanger Lives, Fuel Self-Medication

The promise appears irresistible.

A Facebook user scrolling through their feed encounters a sponsored post claiming to offer a “natural cure” for diabetes. On Instagram, another advertisement guarantees permanent relief from infertility within weeks. A TikTok video showcases dramatic before-and-after images of a woman who allegedly lost significant weight after taking a herbal mixture. On X, a thread promotes a product said to cleanse the body of infections and restore overall health.

Within seconds, users are encouraged to click a WhatsApp link, send a direct message or place an order.

Across Nigeria’s digital landscape, such advertisements have become increasingly common. Social media platforms have evolved beyond spaces for social interaction into thriving marketplaces where pharmaceutical products, herbal remedies and dietary supplements are marketed directly to millions of consumers.

While some products may be legitimate, health experts warn that many are promoted without adequate regulatory oversight, scientific evidence or verifiable information about their safety and effectiveness. The growing trend has raised concerns among healthcare professionals, regulators and consumer advocates who fear that vulnerable Nigerians are being exposed to misinformation, dangerous self-medication and potentially harmful substances.

The rapid expansion of digital marketing and artificial intelligence has transformed how health-related products are advertised worldwide, and Nigeria is no exception. Today, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) serve as major channels through which drugs, herbal medicines and wellness products are marketed directly to consumers.

Unlike traditional media, where advertisements are typically subjected to regulatory review before publication, social media allows virtually anyone to promote products with minimal scrutiny.

A simple search using phrases such as “natural cure,” “herbal treatment” or “fast relief” generates dozens of advertisements claiming to address conditions ranging from infertility and infections to diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Many of these advertisements rely heavily on emotional testimonials, dramatic personal stories and promises of quick results. Others feature images purportedly showing patients before and after treatment.

READ ALSO:

However, most provide little or no information regarding clinical trials, product ingredients, manufacturing standards or regulatory approval.

Further observations reveal that comment sections have become informal health consultation spaces where users seek advice on various medical conditions. Many consumers ask sellers to recommend treatments for ailments unrelated to the advertised product, suggesting that increasing numbers of Nigerians are turning to social media vendors for medical guidance rather than consulting qualified healthcare professionals.

Nigeria’s healthcare challenges—including rising medical costs, long waiting times and shortages of healthcare personnel in some communities—have made alternative solutions appealing to many consumers.

For 32-year-old entrepreneur Emmanuella Okeke, social media appeared to offer a solution to her weight concerns.

“The advert had many positive comments and testimonials. The seller said it was completely natural and had no side effects,” she told Weekend Trust.

Within days of taking the herbal supplement she purchased online, she developed severe stomach discomfort.

“I stopped taking it because I became worried. Looking back now, I realised I never actually knew what was inside the product,” she said.

Similarly, Ibrahim Musa, a civil servant, purchased a product advertised on Instagram as a treatment for chronic joint pain.

“The video looked professional and the comments appeared genuine, so I placed an order immediately,” he recalled.

Weeks later, he noticed no improvement.

“When I started asking questions, the seller stopped responding. Eventually, the account disappeared.”

Esther Adeolu also purchased fertility supplements promoted on TikTok after seeing numerous testimonials from women claiming successful pregnancies.

Months later, she consulted a fertility specialist.

“The doctor explained that infertility can have many causes and that no responsible practitioner can guarantee success the way the advertisement did,” she said.

For Adewale Johnson, an online remedy for high blood pressure nearly led him into a dangerous situation.

“The seller told me I could stop taking my prescribed medications. Thankfully, I consulted my doctor before making any changes,” he said.

Medical experts warn that following such advice could have life-threatening consequences.

READ ALSO:

Public health physician Dr Grace Jegede described the growing reliance on social media for health guidance as a dangerous development.

“Many people now receive medical information from individuals whose qualifications cannot be verified. What worries healthcare professionals is that marketing messages are increasingly being mistaken for medical advice,” she said.

According to her, symptoms that require proper diagnosis are often reduced to simplistic explanations by online vendors.

“A persistent headache could indicate stress, hypertension, infection or a more serious condition. Yet some online sellers offer a single product as a solution without any medical assessment whatsoever.”

She warned that self-diagnosis based on social media content could delay treatment and worsen health outcomes.

Dr Adeniyi Benson, a medicine specialist, said investigations into many online health products reveal recurring problems.

“Product labels are often incomplete. Scientific names of ingredients may be omitted, manufacturing locations are unclear, and sellers provide little information beyond broad claims of effectiveness,” he explained.

He stressed that every medicine carries benefits, risks and possible side effects.

“When these details are hidden, consumers are making important health decisions without adequate information.”

Experts say one of the most misleading claims in online health advertising is the suggestion that herbal or natural products are automatically safe.

According to Dr Benson, many consumers wrongly assume that natural products cannot cause harm.

“That is simply not true. Herbal products can trigger adverse reactions, interact dangerously with prescription medicines or worsen underlying medical conditions.”

Healthcare professionals caution that safety and effectiveness depend on scientific evaluation, not marketing language.

The rise of artificial intelligence has introduced a new challenge. Experts warn that AI-generated videos, manipulated images and cloned voices are increasingly being used to market health products online.

Some fraudulent advertisements now feature videos that appear to show doctors, pharmacists or medical experts endorsing products they have never seen or approved.

These highly convincing deepfake technologies make it more difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine medical advice from fabricated endorsements.

Health experts fear that as AI tools become more accessible, deceptive online pharmaceutical advertising could become even more sophisticated and widespread.

Another growing trend is the use of social media influencers to promote health products.

With thousands or even millions of followers, influencers can significantly boost product sales, particularly among younger audiences.

READ ALSO:

The challenge, experts say, is that followers often trust influencers more than health authorities.

“When a popular personality recommends a product, many people assume it has already been verified,” said pharmacist Dr Abdulmojeed Sani.

“Unfortunately, that assumption may not always be correct.”

He warned that testimonials and personal experiences should never be mistaken for scientific evidence.

“A single positive experience does not prove that a product is safe or effective. Proper medical products undergo rigorous testing before they are recommended to the public.”

The dangers extend beyond misleading advertisements.

Counterfeit and falsified medicines remain a significant public health challenge in Nigeria and many developing countries.

Such products may contain incorrect ingredients, harmful substances, improper dosages or no active ingredients at all.

Consumers who purchase medicines from unverified online sellers face a higher risk of receiving substandard products that may worsen illnesses, trigger adverse reactions or fail to provide treatment altogether.

Healthcare professionals warn that some patients unknowingly spend months using ineffective products while serious medical conditions continue to progress.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is responsible for regulating drugs, food products, cosmetics, medical devices and related advertisements in Nigeria.

By law, health-related advertisements require regulatory approval before publication.

However, monitoring digital platforms remains a major challenge.

Unlike television and newspapers, online content can be created, shared and deleted within minutes. Anonymous sellers can target consumers across multiple platforms without revealing their identities.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has repeatedly warned against purchasing medicines from unapproved sources and stressed that offenders face severe sanctions.

The agency has also encouraged Nigerians to verify product registration details before making purchases.

Industry experts say stronger collaboration between regulators, technology companies and healthcare institutions is necessary to address the growing problem.

Doctors report seeing increasing numbers of patients whose conditions worsened after relying on unverified online products.

Physician Dr Grace Ekanem recalled treating individuals who delayed seeking professional medical care after using products purchased online.

“Some patients spend months experimenting with various remedies before eventually coming to the hospital. By then, their conditions may have advanced significantly,” she said.

According to her, diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and infections require timely diagnosis and evidence-based treatment.

“Delays can lead to complications and reduce the chances of successful management.”

Health experts advise Nigerians to exercise caution before purchasing health products online.

Consumers are encouraged to verify NAFDAC registration details, consult qualified healthcare professionals before using new products, avoid products that promise instant cures or guaranteed results, be suspicious of “secret formulas” and miracle treatments, check for clear information on ingredients, dosage and side effects, avoid stopping prescribed medications without medical advice, and purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised vendors.

As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, social media will remain a powerful tool for communication and commerce.

The challenge is ensuring that innovation does not come at the expense of public health.

Experts argue that stronger regulation, better platform accountability, improved health literacy and more aggressive enforcement are necessary to protect consumers.

Until then, millions of Nigerians will continue to encounter advertisements promising miracle cures and instant solutions—often with little way of knowing whether the claims are supported by science or simply another marketing strategy designed to exploit hope.

The growing presence of online pharmaceutical products, social media drug adverts, health misinformation, self-medication and unregulated medicines highlights the complex intersection of technology, commerce and healthcare in Nigeria. For many experts, protecting public health in the digital age will require collective action from regulators, technology companies, healthcare professionals and consumers alike.

How Online Pharmaceutical Ads Endanger Lives, Fuel Self-Medication

Health

Third Toxic Odour Incident Hits Ijebu-Ode in 3 Months as Ogun Traces Source to Methane Leak

Published

3 days ago

June 4, 2026

Trends Admin

Third Toxic Odour Incident Hits Ijebu-Ode in 3 Months as Ogun Traces Source to Methane Leak

IJEBU-ODE, Ogun State – Panic and anxiety swept through the ancient town of Ijebu-Ode on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, when a toxic odour once again polluted the air around Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in the Epe Garage area, forcing students and teachers to scramble for safety. This marks the third recorded incident in three months, following similar outbreaks in April and May that led to multiple hospitalisations across government and private medical facilities in the town.

Multiple eyewitness accounts confirmed that students and their teachers began experiencing sudden discomfort, breathing difficulties, dizziness, and weakness shortly after a pungent, unfamiliar smell was detected on the school premises. Affected individuals were quickly rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, as well as other nearby hospitals, for urgent medical attention. As of press time, no fatalities had been reported, and most affected persons were said to be in stable condition. One teacher, who pleaded anonymity, told reporters: “It was like the air suddenly became heavy and poisonous. Within minutes, students were coughing, gasping, and some even collapsed. We had to act fast.”

Unlike the previous two incidents where official responses were delayed, the Ogun State Government has now provided a specific update on the origin of the leak. The State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the incident and revealed that government-installed air quality monitoring devices had successfully detected the emission source. The Commissioner stated, “Yes, I am aware of the incident. Through our installed monitoring devices, we have detected the source of the gas emission. The leakage is coming from behind Our Lady of Apostles School, Ijebu-Ode.” He added that appropriate technical steps are being taken to contain the leak and prevent a fourth occurrence.

READ ALSO:

Following the second incident in May 2026, which affected over 100 students and teachers across multiple schools including Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Adeola Odutola Secondary School, and St. Anthony Esure School, state environmental officials installed real-time air quality monitors. According to official data, those monitors recorded methane gas (CH₄) concentrations ranging from 13,500 to 14,900 parts per million (ppm) in the affected areas. While officials clarified that this level remained below the lower explosive limit, they described it as environmentally significant and capable of causing acute respiratory distress, nausea, and dizziness in humans upon inhalation.

The recurring pattern of gas leaks has raised serious public health concerns in Ijebu-Ode. In the first incident on April 1, 2026, over 30 students and teachers from Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School were hospitalised. Then, in the second incident occurring between May 14 and 15, 2026, more than 100 students from five public schools including OLA, Anglican Girls Grammar School, and Ijebu-Ode Grammar School were hospitalised with nausea, weakness, and breathing issues. The latest incident on June 3, 2026, saw several students from Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School treated for respiratory distress. Parents and residents have expressed growing frustration, noting that private schools in the same locality were reportedly unaffected during past incidents — a pattern that has fuelled speculation about the leak’s specific origin.

The National Coordinator of the Food and Farmers Rights Campaign, John Eko, has appealed to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to ensure a permanent solution. Eko warned that repeated exposure to methane and associated gases can cause long-term health damage, especially in children, and insisted that this situation cannot continue. He also called for full public disclosure of the responsible entity behind the gas leak, as well as compensation for affected families.

The Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) has once again advised residents in Ijebu-Ode and surrounding areas to avoid open flames, sparks, or any ignition sources where a gas odour is perceived. Residents are urged to evacuate the area immediately if a strong chemical or rotten-egg smell is noticed and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, chest tightness, or breathing difficulty develop. It is also advisable to keep windows closed during suspected gas events to reduce inhalation risk.

At the time of filing this report, no formal press release or detailed action plan had been issued by the Ogun State Government regarding sanctions, long-term remediation, or health monitoring for affected students. However, the Commissioner for Environment assured that technical teams remain on the ground and that further updates would be provided as investigations continue.